0001437749-18-016964.txt : 20180913 0001437749-18-016964.hdr.sgml : 20180913 20180913121121 ACCESSION NUMBER: 0001437749-18-016964 CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE: 10-K PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT: 131 CONFORMED PERIOD OF REPORT: 20180630 FILED AS OF DATE: 20180913 DATE AS OF CHANGE: 20180913 FILER: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: NORTHEAST BANCORP /ME/ CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0000811831 STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION: STATE COMMERCIAL BANKS [6022] IRS NUMBER: 010425066 STATE OF INCORPORATION: ME FISCAL YEAR END: 0630 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: 10-K SEC ACT: 1934 Act SEC FILE NUMBER: 001-14588 FILM NUMBER: 181068421 BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: 500 CANAL ST CITY: LEWISTON STATE: ME ZIP: 04240-6594 BUSINESS PHONE: 2077863245 MAIL ADDRESS: STREET 1: 500 CANAL ST CITY: LEWISTON STATE: ME ZIP: 04240-6594 FORMER COMPANY: FORMER CONFORMED NAME: BETHEL BANCORP DATE OF NAME CHANGE: 19920703 10-K 1 nbn20180630_10k.htm FORM 10-K nbn20180630_10k.htm
 

 

Table of Contents



United States

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 


 

FORM 10-K

 

(Mark One)

ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

  For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2018

OR

TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

  For the transition period from                  to  

Commission file number (1-14588)

 


 

NORTHEAST BANCORP

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Maine

01-0425066

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification No.)

   

500 Canal Street, Lewiston, Maine

04240

(Address of principal executive offices)

(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code:

(207) 786-3245

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Title of each class:

Name of each exchange on which registered:

Voting Common Stock, $1.00 par value

The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

None

 


Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐ No ☑

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐ No ☑

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☑ No ☐

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Website, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes ☑ No ☐

 

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. ☑

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

Large Accelerated Filer

Accelerated filer

       

Non-accelerated filer

Smaller Reporting Company

       

Emerging growth company

   

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes ☐ No ☑

 

The aggregate market value of the registrant’s voting and non-voting common stock held by non-affiliates, computed by reference to the last reported sales price of the registrant’s voting common stock on the NASDAQ Global Market on December 31, 2017 was approximately $190,494,104.

 

As of September 7, 2018, the registrant had outstanding 8,230,417 shares of voting common stock, $1.00 par value per share, and 820,742 shares of non-voting common stock, $1.00 par value per share.

 


DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of the registrant’s proxy statement for the 2018 Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on November 16, 2018 are incorporated by reference in Items 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 of Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The registrant intends to file such proxy statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission no later than 120 days after the end of its fiscal year ended June 30, 2018.

 



 

 

 

Table of Contents

 

 

 

Part I.

 

 

 

       

 

Item 1.

Business

4

       

 

Item 1A.

Risk Factors

17

       

 

Item 1B.

Unresolved Staff Comments

26

 

 

   

 

Item 2.

Properties

26

       

 

Item 3.

Legal Proceedings

26

       

 

Item 4.

Mine Safety Disclosures

26

       

Part II

 

 

 

       

 

Item 5.

Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Shareholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

27

       

 

Item 6.

Selected Financial Data

29

       

 

Item 7.

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

30

       

 

Item 7A.

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

50

       

 

Item 8.

Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

51

       

 

Item 9.

Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure

95

       

 

Item 9A.

Controls and Procedures

95

       

 

Item 9B.

Other Information

97

       

Part III

 

 

 

       

 

Item 10.

Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance

97

       

 

Item 11.

Executive Compensation

97

       

 

Item 12.

Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Shareholder Matters

97

       

 

Item 13.

Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence

97

       

 

Item 14.

Principal Accounting Fees and Services

97

       

Part IV

 

 

 

       

 

Item 15.

Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules

98

 

 

 

A Note About Forward-Looking Statements

 

This report contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, such as statements relating to the financial condition, prospective results of operations, future performance or expectations, plans, objectives, prospects, loan loss allowance adequacy, simulation of changes in interest rates, capital spending, finance sources and revenue sources of Northeast Bancorp ("we," "our," "us," "Northeast" or the "Company"). These statements relate to expectations concerning matters that are not historical facts. Accordingly, statements that are based on management's projections, estimates, assumptions, and judgments constitute forward-looking statements. These forward looking statements, which are based on various assumptions (some of which are beyond the Company's control), may be identified by reference to a future period or periods, or by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "believe", "expect", "estimate", "anticipate", "continue", "plan", "approximately", "intend", "objective", "goal", "project", or other similar terms or variations on those terms, or the future or conditional verbs such as "will", "may", "should", "could", and "would".

 

Such forward-looking statements reflect our current views and expectations based largely on information currently available to our management, and on our current expectations, assumptions, plans, estimates, judgments, and projections about our business and our industry, and they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Although the Company believes that these forward-looking statements are based on reasonable estimates and assumptions, they are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, contingencies, and other factors. Accordingly, the Company cannot give you any assurance that its expectations will in fact occur or that its estimates or assumptions will be correct. The Company cautions you that actual results could differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements as a result of, among other factors, the factors referenced in this report under Item 1A. "Risk Factors changes in interest rates and real estate values; competitive pressures from other financial institutions; the effects of a deterioration in general economic conditions on a national basis or in the local markets in which the Company operates, including changes that adversely affect borrowers' ability to service and repay our loans; changes in loan defaults and charge-off rates; changes in the value of securities and other assets, adequacy of loan loss reserves, or deposit levels necessitating increased borrowing to fund loans and investments; changes in government regulation; the risk that we may not be successful in the implementation of our business strategy; the risk that intangibles recorded in the Company's financial statements will become impaired; and changes in assumptions used in making such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this report and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any of these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this report.

 

 

PART I

 

Item 1.

Business

 

Overview

 

Northeast Bancorp, incorporated under Maine law in 1987, is a bank holding company, registered with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the "Federal Reserve") under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended. The Company's primary subsidiary and principal asset is its wholly-owned banking subsidiary, Northeast Bank (the "Bank" or "Northeast Bank"), a Maine state-chartered bank originally organized in 1872.

 

On December 29, 2010, the merger of the Company and FHB Formation LLC (the "Merger"), a Delaware limited liability company ("FHB"), was consummated. In connection with the transaction, as part of the regulatory approval process, the Company and the Bank made certain commitments to the Federal Reserve, the most significant of which are (i) to maintain a Tier 1 leverage ratio of at least 10%, (ii) to maintain a total capital ratio of at least 15%, (iii) to limit purchased loans to 40% of total loans, (iv) to fund 100% of the Company's loans with core deposits (defined as non-maturity deposits and non-brokered insured time deposits), and (v) to hold commercial real estate loans (including owner-occupied commercial real estate) to within 300% of total capital. On June 28, 2013, the Federal Reserve approved the amendment of the commitment to hold commercial real estate loans to within 300% of total capital to exclude owner-occupied commercial real estate loans. All other commitments made to the Federal Reserve in connection with the Merger remain unchanged. The Company and the Bank are currently in compliance with all commitments to the Federal Reserve.

 

As of June 30, 2018, the Company, on a consolidated basis, had total assets of $1.2 billion, total deposits of $954.9 million, and shareholders' equity of $138.4 million. We gather retail deposits through the Community Banking Division's ten full-service branches in Maine and through our online deposit program, ableBanking; originate loans through the Community Banking Division; purchase and originate commercial loans on a nationwide basis through the Bank’s Loan Acquisition and Servicing Group ("LASG"); and originate Small Business Administration and United States Department of Agriculture (“SBA”) loans on a nationwide basis through the Bank’s national SBA group ("SBA Division").

 

Unless the context otherwise requires, references herein to the Company include the Company and the Bank on a consolidated basis.

 

Strategy

 

The Company's goal is to prudently grow its franchise, while maintaining sound operations and risk management, by means of the following strategies:

 

Continuing to grow the LASG’s national originated and purchased loan business. We purchase commercial real estate loans nationally, at prices that on average have produced yields significantly higher than those available on our originated loan portfolio. We also originate loans nationally, taking advantage of our core expertise in underwriting and servicing national credits.

 

Growing our national SBA origination business. We originate loans on a national basis to small businesses, primarily through the SBA 7(a) program, which provides the partial guarantee of the SBA.

 

Continuing our community banking tradition. With a history that dates to 1872, our Community Banking Division maintains its focus on sales and service, with the goal of attracting and retaining deposits, and serving the lending needs of retail and commercial customers within our core markets.

 

Generating deposits to fund our business. We offer a full line of deposit products through our ten-branch network located in the Community Banking Division’s market. ableBanking is a direct savings platform providing an additional channel to raise core deposits to fund our asset strategy.

 

Market Area and Competition

 

The LASG and SBA Division activities are nationwide. The LASG competes primarily with community banks, regional banks and private equity funds operating nationwide in its bid to acquire primarily commercial real estate loans. We believe that we often have a competitive advantage in bidding against private equity funds on performing loans because those funds generally have higher funding costs and, therefore, higher expectations for return on investment than we do. Furthermore, private equity funds typically do not compete for small balance commercial loans and typically pursue larger, bulk transactions. Due to improving credit quality over the past several years and the low interest rate environment, the supply of loans available for purchase has declined, competition has increased, and spreads have tightened. Despite these trends, we believe that the LASG continues to have a competitive advantage in bidding against other banks because we have a specialized group with experience in purchasing commercial real estate loans. Additionally, most banks we compete against are community banks looking to acquire loans in their market; these banks usually have specific criteria for their acquisition activities and do not pursue pools with collateral or geographic diversity.

 

 

The SBA Division competes primarily with community banks, regional banks, national/global banks, and non-bank licensed lenders on a nationwide basis. Capitalizing on our LASG origination loan infrastructure, the SBA Division is in a position to review and act quickly on a variety of lending opportunities. Risk management, approvals, underwriting and other due diligence for these loans is similar to that for the LASG loans. We believe that the SBA Division has an advantage in originating commercial real estate loans because of its ability to utilize in-house staff to quickly and accurately screen loan opportunities, which accelerates the underwriting process.

 

The Community Banking Division’s market area includes the six New England states, with the majority of its activities centered in the western and central regions of the State of Maine. We encounter significant competition in the Community Banking Division market area in originating loans, attracting deposits, and selling other customer products and services. Our competitors include savings banks, commercial banks, credit unions, mutual funds, insurance companies, brokerage and investment banking companies, finance companies, and other financial intermediaries. Many of our primary competitors there have substantially greater resources, larger established customer bases, higher lending limits, extensive branch networks, numerous ATMs and greater advertising and marketing budgets. They may also offer services that we do not currently provide. ableBanking has a nationwide scope in its deposit gathering activities and competes with banks and credit unions, as well as other, larger, online direct banks having a national reach.

 

Lending Activities

 

General

 

We conduct our loan-related activities through three primary channels: the LASG, the SBA Division, and the Community Banking Division. The LASG purchases primarily performing commercial real estate loans, on a nationwide basis, typically at a discount from their unpaid principal balances, producing yields higher than those normally achieved on the Company's originated loan portfolio. The LASG also originates commercial real estate and commercial and industrial loans on a nationwide basis. The SBA Division originates loans to small businesses, primarily through the SBA 7(a) program, which provides the partial guarantee of the SBA. The Community Banking Division originates loans directly to consumers and businesses located in its market area. At June 30, 2018, our total loan portfolio (excluding loans held for sale) was $871.8 million, of which $688.3 million, or 79.0%, was purchased or originated by the LASG, $60.2 million, or 6.9%, was originated by the SBA Division, and $123.3 million, or 14.1%, was originated by the Community Banking Division.

 

The following table sets forth certain information concerning our portfolio loan purchases and originations for the periods indicated (including loans held for sale):

 

   

Years Ended June 30,

 
   

2018

   

2017

 
   

(Dollars in thousands)

 

Loans, including loans held for sale, beginning of year

  $ 783,894     $ 699,955  

Additions:

               

LASG Purchases and Originations:

               

Originations

    224,546       237,691  

Purchases

    124,111       112,807  

Subtotal

    348,657       350,498  

SBA Division Funded Originations

    42,368       81,996  

Community Bank Originations:

               

Residential mortgages held for sale

    63,321       72,571  

Residential mortgages held for investment

    1,094       3,785  

Home equity

    315       201  

Commercial real estate

    209       6,565  

Commercial and industrial

    1,670       980  

Consumer

    72       145  

Subtotal

    66,681       84,247  

Total originations and purchases

    457,706       516,741  

Reductions:

               

Sales of residential loans held for sale

    (63,005 )     (74,662 )

Sales of SBA and portfolio loans

    (32,088 )     (72,052 )

Charge-offs

    (347 )     (387 )

Pay-downs and amortization, net

    (267,203 )     (285,701 )

Total reductions

    (362,643 )     (432,802 )

Loans, including loans held for sale, end of year

  $ 878,957     $ 783,894  

Annual percentage increase in loans

    12.13 %     11.99 %

 

 

We individually underwrite all loans that we originate and purchase. Our loan underwriting policies are reviewed and approved annually by our Board of Directors (the “Board”). Each loan, regardless of whether it is originated or purchased, must meet underwriting criteria set forth in our lending policies and the requirements of applicable federal and state regulations. All loans are subject to approval procedures and amount limitations, and the Board approves loan relationships exceeding certain prescribed dollar limits. We supplement our own supervision of the loan underwriting and approval process with periodic loan audits by internal personnel and outside professionals experienced in loan review. As of June 30, 2018, the Bank’s legal lending limit was $32.4 million.

 

We typically retain servicing rights for all loans that we originate or purchase, except for residential loans that we originate and sell servicing released in the secondary market.

 

LASG Purchases and Originations

 

General. Loans originated or purchased by the LASG were $688.3 million as of June 30, 2018, which consisted of $495.4 million of commercial real estate loans, $171.9 million of commercial and industrial loans, and $21.0 million of one- to four-family residential loans. The following table summarizes the LASG loan portfolio as of June 30, 2018:

 

   

Purchased

   

Originated

   

Total

 
   

(Dollars in thousands)

 

Non-owner occupied commercial real estate

  $ 150,805     $ 137,463     $ 288,268  

Owner occupied commercial real estate

    125,246       81,916       207,162  

Commercial and industrial

    995       170,873       171,868  

1-4 family residential

    13,926       7,111       21,037  

Total

  $ 290,972     $ 397,363     $ 688,335  

 

Since the inception of the LASG through June 30, 2018, we have purchased loans with an aggregate investment of $723 million, of which $124.1 million was purchased during fiscal 2018. We have also originated LASG loans totaling $809 million, of which $224.5 million was originated in fiscal 2018. As of June 30, 2018, the unpaid principal balance of loans purchased or originated by the LASG ranged from $2 thousand to $10.0 million and have an average balance of $735 thousand. The real estate loans were secured principally by retail, industrial, hospitality, multi-family and office properties in 41 states.

 

The following table shows the LASG loan portfolio stratified by book value as of June 30, 2018, excluding deferred fees and costs:

 

Range

   

Amount

   

Percent of Total

 

(Dollars in thousands)

 
$ 0 - $1,000     $ 188,663       27.46 %
$ 1,00 - $3,000       272,846       39.72 %
$ 3,000 - $6,000       114,092       16.61 %
$ 6,000 - $9,000       92,329       13.44 %

Greater than $9,000

      18,999       2.77 %

Total

    $ 686,929       100.00 %

 

 

The following tables show the LASG loan portfolio by location and type of collateral as of June 30, 2018, excluding deferred fees and costs:

 

Collateral Type

 

Amount

   

Percent of Total

   

State

   

Amount

   

Percent of Total

 
    (Dollars in thousands)                   (Dollars in thousands)          

Multifamily

  $ 59,697       8.69 %  

NY

    $ 124,065       18.06 %

Office

    68,984       10.04 %  

CA

      131,134       19.09 %

Hospitality

    51,630       7.52 %  

NJ

      24,564       3.58 %

Retail

    141,020       20.53 %  

IL

      29,075       4.23 %

Industrial

    81,830       11.91 %  

AZ

      23,468       3.42 %

Portfolio finance

    166,783       24.28 %  

TX

      35,736       5.20 %

Other real estate

    63,750       9.28 %  

FL

      26,331       3.83 %

All other

    53,235       7.75 %  

Non-real estate

      149,198       21.72 %

Total

  $ 686,929       100.00 %  

All other states

      143,358       20.87 %
                   

Total

    $ 686,929       100.00 %

 

Loan Purchase Strategies. The LASG's loan purchasing strategy involves the acquisition of commercial loans, typically secured by real estate or other business assets located throughout the United States.

 

 

We acquire commercial loans typically at a discount to their unpaid principal balances. While we acquire loans on a nationwide basis, we seek to avoid significant concentration in any geographic region or in any one collateral type. We do not seek acquisition opportunities for which the primary collateral is land, construction, or one- to four-family residential property, although in a very limited number of cases, loans secured by such collateral may be included in a pool of otherwise desirable loans. Purchased loans are sourced on a nationwide basis from banks, insurance companies, investment funds and government agencies, either directly or indirectly through advisors.

 

We focus on servicing released, whole loan or lead participation transactions so that we can control the management of the portfolio through our experienced asset management professionals. Purchased loans can be acquired as a single relationship or combined with other borrowers in a larger pool. Loans are bid to a minimal acceptable yield to maturity based on the overall risk of the loan, including expected repayment terms and the underlying collateral value. Updated loan-to-value ratios and loan terms both influence the amount of discount the Bank requires in determining whether a loan meets the Bank's guidelines. We often achieve actual results in excess of our minimal acceptable yield to maturity when a loan is prepaid.

 

At June 30, 2018, purchased loans had an unpaid principal balance of $326.9 million and a book value of $291.0 million, representing a total discount of 11.0%.

 

The following table shows the purchased loan portfolio as of June 30, 2018 by original purchase price percentage:

 

Initial Investment as a % of

                 

Unpaid Principal Balance

   

Amount

   

Percent of Total

 
      (Dollars in thousands)          
0% - 60%     $ 4,658       1.60 %
60% - 70%       7,463       2.57 %
70% - 80%       19,527       6.71 %
80% - 90%       83,307       28.63 %
>90%       176,017       60.49 %
Total     $ 290,972       100.00 %

 

Secondary Market for Commercial Loans. Commercial whole loans are typically sold either directly by sellers or through loan sale advisors. Because a central database for commercial whole loan transactions does not exist, we attempt to compile our own statistics by both polling major loan sale advisors to obtain their aggregate trading volume and tracking the deal flow that we see directly via a proprietary database. This data reflects only a portion of the total market, as commercial whole loans that are sold in private direct sales or through other loan sale advisors are not included in our surveys. In recent years, the ratio of performing loans to total loans in the market has increased, in part, because sellers have worked through their most troubled, non-performing loans or are looking to minimize the discount they would receive in a secondary market transaction. While the 2008-2010 economic crisis led to a high level of trading volume, we also expect the market to remain active in times of economic prosperity, as sellers tend to have additional reserve capacity to sell their unwanted assets. Furthermore, we believe that the continued consolidation of the banking industry will create secondary market activity as acquirers often sell non-strategic borrowing relationships or assets that create excess loan concentrations.

 

Underwriting of Purchased Loans. We review many loan purchase opportunities and commence underwriting on a relatively small percentage of loans. Purchased loans are underwritten by a team of in-house, seasoned analysts before being considered for approval. Prior to commencing underwriting, loans are analyzed for performance characteristics, loan terms, collateral quality, and price expectations. We also consider whether the loans would make our total purchased loan portfolio more or less diverse with respect to geography, loan type and collateral type. The opportunity is underwritten once it has been identified as fitting our investment parameters. While the extent of underwriting may vary based on investment size, procedures generally include the following:

 

 

A loan analyst reviews and analyzes the seller credit file and our own internal and third party research in order to assess credit risk;

 

 

With the assistance of local counsel, where appropriate, an in-house attorney makes a determination regarding the quality of loan documentation and enforceability of loan terms;

 

 

An in-house real estate specialist performs real estate collateral evaluations, which includes conducting original market research for trends and sale and lease comparables, and develops a valuation based on current data reflecting what we believe are recent trends;

 

 

An environmental assessment is performed on real estate collateral where appropriate;

 

 

 

A property inspection is generally performed on all real estate collateral securing a loan, focusing on several characteristics, including, among other things, the physical quality of the property, current occupancy, general quality and occupancy within the neighborhood, market position and nearby property listings; and

 

 

An underwriting package containing the analysis and results is reviewed and submitted for approval by the LASG Credit Committee.

 

Collateral Valuation. The estimated value of the real property collateralizing the loan is determined by the LASG's in-house real estate group, which considers, among other factors, the type of property, its condition, location and its highest and best use in its marketplace. An inspection is conducted for the real property securing all loans bid upon. For loans that exceed a certain dollar threshold as prescribed in our credit policy, members of the LASG typically conduct an in-person site inspection.

 

We generally view cash flow from operations as the primary source of repayment on purchased loans. The LASG analyzes the current and likely future cash flows generated by the collateral to repay the loan. Also considered are minimum debt service coverage ratios, consisting of the ratio of net operating income to total scheduled principal and interest payments. Consideration of the debt service coverage ratio is critical to the pricing and rating of purchased and originated loans, and is analyzed carefully. For purchased loans, care is taken to ensure that, unless significantly offset by other factors in the credit, the purchase price results in an adjusted debt service coverage ratio that is within the Bank’s lending limits. Moreover, if the debt service coverage ratio based on the contractual payments, regardless of the Bank’s exposure, is significantly below 1.0x, then steps are taken to document alternative sources of repayment or develop a realistic plan to ensure continued performance of the loan.

 

Loan Pricing. In determining the amount that we are willing to bid to acquire individual loans or loan pools, the LASG considers the following:

 

 

Collateral securing the loan;

 

 

Geographic location;

 

 

Financial resources of the borrower or guarantors, if any;

 

 

Recourse nature of the loan;

 

 

Age and performance of the loan;

 

 

Length of time during which the loan has performed in accordance with its repayment term;

 

 

Yield expected to be earned; and

 

 

Servicing restrictions, if any.

 

In addition to the factors listed above and despite the fact that purchased loans are typically performing loans, the LASG also estimates the amount that we may realize through collection efforts or foreclosure and sale of the collateral, net of expenses, and the length of time and costs required to complete the collection or foreclosure process in the event a loan becomes non-performing or is non-performing at the time of purchase.

 

Loan Originations. In addition to purchasing loans, the LASG also originates commercial loans on a nationwide basis. Capitalizing on our purchased loan infrastructure, the LASG is in a position to review and act quickly on a variety of lending opportunities. Risk management, approvals, underwriting and other due diligence for these loans is similar to that for purchased loans, other than the appraisal and documentation process, which mirrors the Community Banking Division’s practice of employing local attorneys and real estate appraisers to assist in the process. We believe that the LASG has an advantage in originating commercial loans because of its ability to utilize in-house staff to quickly and accurately screen loan opportunities and accelerate the underwriting process.

 

Loan Servicing. We conduct all loan servicing for purchased and originated loans with an in-house team of experienced asset managers who actively manage the loan portfolio. Asset managers initiate and maintain regular borrower contact, and ensure that the loan credit analysis is accurate. Collateral valuations, property inspections, and other collateral characteristics are updated periodically as a result of our ongoing in-house real estate analysis. All asset management activity and analysis is contained within a central database.

 

 

SBA Division

 

General. The SBA Division, launched in November 2014, originates loans to small businesses nationwide, most often through the SBA's 7(a) program, which provides a partial government guarantee. Our loans are typically secured by liens on business assets and mortgages on commercial properties, and also benefit from SBA guarantees. We seek to build a loan portfolio that is diverse with respect to geography, loan type and collateral type.

 

The following table summarizes the SBA Division loan portfolio as of June 30, 2018:

 

   

SBA Division

 
   

(Dollars in thousands)

 

Non-owner occupied commercial real estate

  $ 29,488  

Owner occupied commercial real estate

    24,483  

Commercial and industrial

    6,057  

1-4 family residential

    128  

Total

  $ 60,156  

 

The Company's SBA loan portfolio includes owner and non-owner occupied loans as defined under regulatory call report instructions. The regulatory call report instructions primarily consider the primary source of repayment on the loan for this determination. However, these loans meet the SBA requirements to be considered owner occupied as the owner or controlling entity are actively involved in the daily operations of the underlying core business.

 

In addition to the loans held in the SBA Division loan portfolio, as of June 30, 2018, $3.8 million in the loans held for sale portfolio were attributable to the SBA Division, consisting of the guaranteed portion of the SBA Division loans that we expect to sell in the secondary market.

 

Secondary Market for SBA Guarantees. We typically sell the SBA-guaranteed portion of our variable-rate originations (generally 75% of the principal balance) at a premium in the secondary market. We generally retain a 25% unguaranteed interest and the accompanying servicing rights to the entire loan. We hold most fixed-rate SBA loan originations in portfolio.

 

Underwriting of SBA Division Loans. Our loan policies and procedures establish guidelines governing our SBA lending program. Generally, these guidelines address the types of loans that we seek, target markets, underwriting and collateral requirements, terms, interest rate and yield considerations and compliance with laws and regulations. All loans or credit lines are subject to approval procedures and amount limitations. Our policies are reviewed and approved at least annually by our Board to ensure that we are following SBA underwriting guidelines.

 

Loan Servicing. We conduct all loan servicing for SBA Division loans with an in-house team of experienced asset managers who actively manage the loan portfolio. Asset managers initiate and maintain regular borrower contact, and ensure that the loan credit analysis is accurate. Collateral valuations, property inspections, and other collateral characteristics are updated periodically as a result of our ongoing in-house real estate analysis. All asset management activity and analysis is contained within a central database.

 

Community Banking Division Originations

 

Loan Portfolio. The Community Banking Division’s loan portfolio consists primarily of loans to businesses and consumers in the Community Banking Division's market area.

 

Residential Mortgage Loans. We originate residential mortgage loans secured by one- to four-family properties primarily throughout Maine. Such loans may be originated for sale in the secondary market or to be held on the Bank's balance sheet. We also offer home equity loans and home equity lines of credit, which are secured by first or second mortgages on one- to four-family owner-occupied properties and are held on our balance sheet. At June 30, 2018, portfolio residential loans totaled $79.1 million, or 9.1% of total loans. Of the residential loans we held for investment at June 30, 2018, approximately 54.5% were adjustable rate. Included in residential loans are home equity lines of credit and other second mortgage loans aggregating approximately $10.5 million.

 

Commercial Real Estate Loans. We originate multi-family and other commercial real estate loans secured by property located primarily in the Community Banking Division's market area. At June 30, 2018, commercial real estate loans outstanding were $30.1 million, or 3.4% of total loans. Although the largest commercial real estate loan originated by the Community Banking Division had a principal balance of $1.7 million at June 30, 2018, the majority of the commercial real estate loans originated by the Community Banking Division had principal balances less than $500 thousand.

 

 

Commercial and industrial Loans. We originate commercial and industrial loans, including term loans, lines of credit and equipment and receivables financing to businesses located primarily in the Community Banking Division's market area. At June 30, 2018, commercial and industrial loans outstanding were $10.9 million, or 1.3% of total loans. At June 30, 2018, there were 98 commercial and industrial loans outstanding with an average principal balance of $112 thousand. The largest of these commercial and industrial loans had a principal balance of $1.9 million at June 30, 2018.

 

Consumer Loans. We originate, on a direct basis, automobile, boat and recreational vehicle loans. At June 30, 2018, consumer loans outstanding were $3.2 million, or 0.4% of total loans.

 

Underwriting of Loans. Most residential loans, including those held for investment, are originated in accordance with the standards of the Federal National Mortgage Association, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, the Federal Housing Authority, or other third party correspondent lenders. Our underwriting process for all other loans originated by the Community Banking Division is as follows:

 

Most of our Community Banking Division originated loans are sourced through relationships between loan officers and third-party referral sources or current or previous customers.

 

After a loan officer has taken basic information from the borrower, the request is submitted to the Community Banking Division's loan production department. The loan production department obtains comprehensive information from the borrower and third parties, and conducts verification and analysis of the borrower information, which is assembled into a single underwriting package that is submitted for final approval.

 

Investment Activities

 

Our securities portfolio and short-term investments provide and maintain liquidity, assist in managing the interest rate sensitivity of our balance sheet, and serve as collateral for certain of our obligations. Individual investment decisions are made based on the credit quality of the investment, liquidity requirements, potential returns, cash flow targets, and consistency with our asset/liability management objectives.

 

Sources of Funds

 

Deposits have traditionally been the primary source of the Bank's funds for lending and other investment purposes. In addition to deposits, the Bank obtains funds from the amortization and prepayment of loans and mortgage-backed securities, the sale, call or maturity of securities, advances from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston (the "FHLBB"), other term borrowings and cash flows generated by operations.

 

Deposits

 

We offer a full line of deposit products to customers in western and south-central Maine through our ten-branch network. Our deposit products consist of demand deposit, NOW, money market, savings and certificate of deposit accounts. Our customers access their funds through ATMs, MasterCard® Debit Cards, Automated Clearing House funds (electronic transfers) and checks. We also offer telephone banking, online banking and bill payment, mobile banking and remote deposit capture services. Interest rates on our deposits are based upon factors that include prevailing loan demand, deposit maturities, alternative costs of funds, interest rates offered by competing financial institutions and other financial service firms, and general economic conditions. At June 30, 2018, we had core deposits of $954.9 million, representing 100% of total deposits. We define core deposits as non-maturity deposits and non-brokered insured time deposits.

 

Our online deposit program, ableBanking, provides an additional channel through which to obtain core deposits to support our growth. ableBanking, which was launched in late fiscal 2012 as a division of Northeast Bank, had $323.5 million in money market and time deposits as of June 30, 2018. We also use deposit listing services to gather deposits from time to time, in support of our liquidity and asset/liability management objectives. At June 30, 2018, listing service deposits totaled $181.5 million, bearing a weighted-average remaining term of 0.98 years.

 

Borrowings

 

While we currently consider core deposits (defined as non-maturity deposits and non-brokered insured time deposits) as our primary source of funding to support asset growth, advances from the FHLBB and other sources of wholesale funding remain an important part of our liquidity contingency planning. Northeast Bank may borrow up to 50% of its total assets from the FHLBB, and borrowings are typically collateralized by mortgage loans and securities pledged to the FHLBB. At June 30, 2018, we had $48.7 million of available borrowing capacity based on collateral. Northeast Bank can also borrow from the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, with any such borrowing collateralized by consumer loans pledged to the Federal Reserve.

 

 

For the foreseeable future, we expect to rely less on borrowings than other banks of similar size, because of our regulatory commitment to fund 100% of our loans with core deposits, although the availability of FHLBB and Federal Reserve Bank of Boston advances and other sources of wholesale funding remain an important part of our liquidity contingency planning.

 

Employees

 

As of June 30, 2018, the Company employed 167 full-time and 18 part-time employees. The Company's employees are not represented by any collective bargaining unit. The Company believes that its relations with its employees are good.

 

Other Subsidiaries

 

As of June 30, 2018, the Bank had three wholly-owned non-bank subsidiaries:

 

 

200 Elm Realty, LLC, which was established to hold commercial real estate acquired as a result of loan workouts.

 

 

500 Pine Realty, LLC, which was established to hold residential real estate acquired as a result of loan workouts.

 

 

17 Dogwood Realty, LLC, which was established to hold commercial real estate acquired as a result of loan workouts.

 

Supervision and Regulation

 

General

 

The following discussion addresses elements of the regulatory framework applicable to bank holding companies and their subsidiaries. This regulatory framework is intended primarily to protect the safety and soundness of depository institutions, the federal deposit insurance fund, and depositors, rather than the shareholders of a bank holding company such as the Company. This summary is not a comprehensive analysis of all applicable laws, and is qualified by reference to the applicable statutes and regulations.

 

Regulation of the Company

 

As a bank holding company, the Company is subject to regulation, supervision and examination by the Federal Reserve, which has the authority, among other things, to order bank holding companies to cease and desist from unsafe or unsound banking practices; to assess civil money penalties; and to order termination of non-banking activities or termination of ownership and control of a non-banking subsidiary by a bank holding company.

 

Source of Strength. Under the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (the “FDIA”), as amended by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”), the Company is required to serve as a source of financial strength for the Bank in the event of the financial distress of the Bank. This provision codifies the longstanding policy of the Federal Reserve. In addition, any capital loans by a bank holding company to any of its bank subsidiaries are subordinate to the payment of deposits and to certain other indebtedness. In the event of a bank holding company’s bankruptcy, any commitment by the bank holding company to a federal bank regulatory agency to maintain the capital of a bank subsidiary will be assumed by the bankruptcy trustee and entitled to a priority of payment.

 

Acquisitions and Activities. The Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 (the “BHCA”) prohibits a bank holding company, without prior approval of the Federal Reserve, from acquiring all or substantially all the assets of a bank; acquiring control of a bank; merging or consolidating with another bank holding company; or acquiring direct or indirect ownership or control of any voting shares of another bank or bank holding company if, after such acquisition, the acquiring bank holding company would control more than 5% of any class of the voting shares of such other bank or bank holding company.

 

The BHCA also prohibits a bank holding company from engaging directly or indirectly in activities other than those of banking, managing or controlling banks or furnishing services to its subsidiary banks. However, a bank holding company may engage in and may own shares of companies engaged in certain activities that the Federal Reserve has determined to be closely related to banking or managing and controlling banks as to be a proper incident thereto.  

 

 

Limitations on Acquisitions of Company Common Stock. The Change in Bank Control Act prohibits a person or group of persons from acquiring “control” of a bank holding company unless the Federal Reserve has been notified and has not objected to the transaction. Under a rebuttable presumption established by the Federal Reserve, the acquisition of 10% or more of a class of voting securities of a bank holding company with a class of securities registered under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, would constitute the acquisition of control of a bank holding company.

 

In addition, the BHCA prohibits any company from acquiring control of a bank or bank holding company without first having obtained the approval of the Federal Reserve. Among other circumstances, under the BHCA, a company has control of a bank or bank holding company if the company owns, controls or holds with power to vote 25% or more of a class of voting securities of the bank or bank holding company; controls in any manner the election of a majority of directors or trustees of the bank or bank holding company; or the Federal Reserve has determined, after notice and opportunity for hearing, that the company has the power to exercise a controlling influence over the management or policies of the bank or bank holding company.

 

Regulation of the Bank

 

As a Maine-chartered bank, the Bank is subject to supervision, regulation and examination by the Maine Bureau of Financial Institutions (the “Bureau”) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”). The Federal Reserve may directly examine the subsidiaries of the Company, including the Bank. The enforcement powers available to federal and state banking regulators include, among other things, the ability to issue cease and desist or removal orders, to terminate insurance of deposits, to assess civil money penalties, to issue directives to increase capital, to place the bank into receivership, and to initiate injunctive actions against banking organizations and institution-affiliated parties.

 

Deposit Insurance. The deposit obligations of the Bank are insured up to applicable limits by the FDIC’s Deposit Insurance Fund (“DIF”) and are subject to deposit insurance assessments to maintain the DIF. The Dodd-Frank Act permanently increased the FDIC deposit insurance limit to $250,000 per depositor for deposits maintained in the same right and capacity at a particular insured depository institution. On March 15, 2016, the FDIC’s Board of Directors approved a final rule to increase the DIF’s reserve ratio to the statutorily required minimum ratio of 1.35% of estimated insured deposits. Small banks, which are generally those banks with under $10 billion in assets, will receive credits to offset the portion of their assessments that help to raise the reserve ratio from 1.15 percent to 1.35%. After the reserve ratio reaches 1.38%, the FDIC will automatically apply a small bank’s credits to reduce its regular assessment up to the entire amount of the assessment.

 

Deposit insurance assessments are based on assets. To determine its deposit insurance assessment, the Bank computes the base amount of its average consolidated assets less its average tangible equity (defined as the amount of Tier 1 capital) and the applicable assessment rate. On April 26, 2016, the FDIC’s Board of Directors adopted a final rule that changed the manner in which deposit insurance assessment rates are calculated for established small banks, generally those banks with less than $10 billion of assets that have been insured for at least five years. Under the final rule, beginning the first assessment period after June 30, 2016, assessments for established small banks with a CAMELS rating of 1 or 2 will range from 1.5 to 16 basis points, after adjustments, while assessment rates for established small institutions with a CAMELS composite rating of 4 or 5 may range from 11 to 30 basis points, after adjustments. Assessments for established banks with a CAMELS rating of 3 will range from 3 to 30 basis points.

 

The FDIC has the power to adjust deposit insurance assessment rates at any time. In addition, under the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (the “FDIA”), the FDIC may terminate deposit insurance upon a finding that the institution has engaged in unsafe and unsound practices; is in an unsafe or unsound condition to continue operations; or has violated any applicable law, regulation, rule, order or condition imposed by the FDIC. For the year ended June 30, 2018, the FDIC insurance expense for the Bank was $317 thousand.

 

Acquisitions and Branching. Prior approval from the Bureau and the FDIC is required in order for the Bank to acquire another bank or establish a new branch office. Well-capitalized and well-managed banks may acquire other banks in any state, subject to certain deposit concentration limits and other conditions, pursuant to the Riegle-Neal Interstate Banking and Branching Efficiency Act of 1994, as amended by the Dodd-Frank Act. In addition, the Dodd-Frank Act authorizes a state-chartered bank, such as the Bank, to establish new branches on an interstate basis to the same extent a bank chartered by the host state may establish branches.

 

Activities and Investments of Insured State-Chartered Banks. Section 24 of the FDIA generally limits the types of equity investment an FDIC-insured state-chartered bank, such as the Bank, may make and the kinds of activities in which such a bank may engage, as a principal, to those that are permissible for national banks. Further, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999 (“GLBA”) permits national banks and state banks, to the extent permitted under state law, to engage—via financial subsidiaries—in certain activities that are permissible for subsidiaries of a financial holding company. In order to form a financial subsidiary, a state-chartered bank must be well capitalized, and such banks would be subject to certain capital deduction, risk management and affiliate transaction rules, among other things.

 

 

Lending Restrictions. Federal law limits a bank’s authority to extend credit to its directors, executive officers and 10% or more shareholders, as well as to entities controlled by such persons. Among other things, extensions of credit to insiders are required to be made on terms that are substantially the same as, and follow credit underwriting procedures that are not less stringent than, those prevailing for comparable transactions with unaffiliated persons. The terms of such extensions of credit may not involve more than the normal risk of repayment or present other unfavorable features and may not exceed certain limitations on the amount of credit extended to such persons, individually and in the aggregate, which limits are based, in part, on the amount of the bank’s capital. The Dodd-Frank Act explicitly provides that an extension of credit to an insider includes credit exposure arising from a derivatives transaction, repurchase agreement, reverse repurchase agreement, securities lending transaction or securities borrowing transaction. Additionally, the Dodd-Frank Act requires that asset sale transactions with insiders must be on market terms, and if the transaction represents more than 10% of the capital and surplus of the bank, approved by a majority of the disinterested directors of the bank.

 

Brokered Deposits. Section 29 of the FDIA and FDIC regulations generally limit the ability of an insured depository institution to accept, renew or roll over any brokered deposit unless the institution’s capital category is “well capitalized” or, with the FDIC’s approval, “adequately capitalized.” Depository institutions that have brokered deposits in excess of 10% of total assets will be subject to increased FDIC deposit insurance assessments. However, for institutions that are well capitalized and have a CAMELS composite rating of 1 or 2, reciprocal deposits are deducted from brokered deposits. In addition, the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act provides that reciprocal deposits are not treated as brokered deposits in the case of a "well capitalized" institution that received a “outstanding” or “good” rating on its most recent examination to the extent the amount of such deposits does not exceed the lesser of $5 billion or 20% of the bank’s total liabilities.

 

Community Reinvestment Act. The Community Reinvestment Act (“CRA”) requires the FDIC to evaluate the Bank’s performance in helping to meet the credit needs of the entire communities it serves, including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, consistent with its safe and sound banking operations, and to take this record into consideration when evaluating certain applications. The FDIC’s CRA regulations are generally based upon objective criteria of the performance of institutions under three key assessment tests: (i) a lending test, to evaluate the institution’s record of making loans in its service areas; (ii) an investment test, to evaluate the institution’s record of investing in community development projects, affordable housing, and programs benefiting low or moderate income individuals and businesses; and (iii) a service test, to evaluate the institution’s delivery of services through its branches, ATMs, and other offices. The Bank’s most recent performance evaluation from the FDIC was a “satisfactory” rating.

 

Capital Adequacy and Safety and Soundness

 

Regulatory Capital Requirements. The Federal Reserve and the FDIC have issued substantially similar risk-based and leverage capital rules applicable to U.S. banking organizations such as the Company and the Bank. These rules are intended to reflect the relationship between the banking organization’s capital and the degree of risk associated with its operations based on transactions recorded on-balance sheet, as well as off-balance sheet. The Federal Reserve and the FDIC may from time to time require that a banking organization maintain capital above the minimum levels discussed below, due to the banking organization’s financial condition or actual or anticipated growth.

 

The capital adequacy rules define qualifying capital instruments and specify minimum amounts of capital as a percentage of assets that banking organizations are required to maintain. Common equity Tier 1 capital for banks and bank holding companies consists of common shareholders’ equity and related surplus. Tier 1 capital for banks and bank holding companies generally consists of the sum of common shareholders’ equity, non-cumulative perpetual preferred stock, and related surplus and, in certain cases and subject to limitations, minority interest in consolidated subsidiaries, less goodwill, other non-qualifying intangible assets and certain other deductions. Tier 2 capital generally consists of hybrid capital instruments, perpetual debt and mandatory convertible debt securities, cumulative perpetual preferred stock, term subordinated debt and intermediate-term preferred stock, and, subject to limitations, allowances for loan losses. The sum of Tier 1 and Tier 2 capital, less certain required deductions, represents qualifying total capital. Prior to the effectiveness of certain provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act, bank holding companies were permitted to include trust preferred securities and cumulative perpetual preferred stock in Tier 1 capital, subject to limitations. However, the Federal Reserve’s capital rule applicable to bank holding companies permanently grandfathers nonqualifying capital instruments, including trust preferred securities, issued before May 19, 2010 by depository institution holding companies with less than $15 billion in total assets as of December 31, 2009, subject to a limit of 25% of Tier 1 capital. In addition, under rules that became effective January 1, 2016, accumulated other comprehensive income (positive or negative) must be reflected in Tier 1 capital; however, the Company was permitted to make a one-time, permanent election to continue to exclude accumulated other comprehensive income from capital. The Company has made this election.

 

 

Under the Federal Reserve’s capital rules applicable to the Company and the FDIC’s capital rules applicable to the Bank, the Company and the Bank are each required to maintain a minimum common equity Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets ratio of 4.5%, a minimum total Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets ratio of 6.0%, a minimum total capital to risk-weighted assets ratio of 8.0% and a minimum leverage ratio of 4.0%. Additionally, subject to a transition schedule, these rules require an institution to establish a capital conservation buffer of common equity Tier 1 capital above the minimum risk-based capital requirements for “adequately capitalized” institutions that is greater than 2.5% of total risk weighted assets, or face restrictions on the ability to pay dividends, pay discretionary bonuses, and to engage in share repurchases. The capital conservation buffer will be fully phased in on January 1, 2019.

 

Under the FDIC’s rules, an FDIC supervised institution, such as the Bank, is considered “well capitalized” if it (i) has a total risk-based capital ratio of 10.0% or greater; (ii) a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of 8.0% or greater; (iii) a common Tier 1 equity ratio of at least 6.5% or greater, (iv) a leverage capital ratio of 5.0% or greater; and (iv) is not subject to any written agreement, order, capital directive, or prompt corrective action directive to meet and maintain a specific capital level for any capital measure.

 

Generally, a bank, upon being notified that it is not adequately capitalized (i.e., that it is “undercapitalized”), becomes subject to the prompt corrective action provisions of Section 38 of the FDIA that, for example, (i) restrict payment of capital distributions and management fees, (ii) require that its federal bank regulatory agency, which is the FDIC in the case of the Bank, monitor the condition of the institution and its efforts to restore its capital, (iii) require submission of a capital restoration plan, (iv) restrict the growth of the institution’s assets and (v) require prior regulatory approval of certain expansion proposals. A bank that is required to submit a capital restoration plan must concurrently submit a performance guarantee by each company that controls the bank. A bank that is “critically undercapitalized” (i.e., has a ratio of tangible equity to total assets that is equal to or less than 2.0%) will be subject to further restrictions, and generally will be placed in conservatorship or receivership within 90 days.

 

The Bank is currently considered “well capitalized” under all regulatory definitions. Current capital rules do not establish standards for determining whether a bank holding company is well capitalized. However, for purposes of processing regulatory applications and notices, the Federal Reserve Board’s Regulation Y provides that a bank holding company is considered “well capitalized” if (i) on a consolidated basis, the bank holding company maintains a total risk-based capital ratio of 10.0% or greater; (ii) on a consolidated basis, the bank holding company maintains a tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of 6.0% or greater; and (iii) the bank holding company is not subject to any written agreement, order, capital directive, or prompt corrective action directive issued by the Federal Reserve Board to meet and maintain a specific capital level for any capital measure.

 

Safety and Soundness Standard. The FDIA requires the federal bank regulatory agencies to prescribe standards, by regulations or guidelines, relating to internal controls, information systems and internal audit systems, loan documentation, credit underwriting, interest rate risk exposure, asset growth, asset quality, earnings, stock valuation and compensation, fees and benefits, and such other operational and managerial standards as the agencies deem appropriate. Guidelines adopted by the federal bank regulatory agencies establish general standards relating to internal controls and information systems, internal audit systems, loan documentation, credit underwriting, interest rate exposure, asset growth and compensation, fees and benefits. In general, these guidelines require, among other things, appropriate systems and practices to identify and manage the risk and exposures specified in the guidelines. The guidelines prohibit excessive compensation as an unsafe and unsound practice and describe compensation as excessive when the amounts paid are unreasonable or disproportionate to the services performed by an executive officer, employee, director or principal shareholder. In addition, the federal banking agencies adopted regulations that authorize, but do not require, an agency to order an institution that has been given notice by an agency that it is not satisfying any of such safety and soundness standards to submit a compliance plan. If, after being so notified, an institution fails to submit an acceptable compliance plan or fails in any material respect to implement an acceptable compliance plan, the agency must issue an order directing action to correct the deficiency and may issue an order directing other actions of the types to which an undercapitalized institution is subject under the “prompt corrective action” provisions of FDIA. See “—Regulatory Capital Requirements” above. If an institution fails to comply with such an order, the agency may seek to enforce such order in judicial proceedings and to impose civil money penalties.

 

Dividend Restrictions

 

The Company is a legal entity separate and distinct from the Bank. The revenue of the Company (on a parent company only basis) is derived primarily from interest and dividends from the Bank. The right of the Company, and consequently the right of shareholders of the Company, to participate in any distribution of the assets or earnings of the Bank through the payment of such dividends or otherwise is necessarily subject to the prior claims of creditors of the Bank (including depositors), except to the extent that certain claims of the Company in a creditor capacity may be recognized.

 

Restrictions on Bank Holding Company Dividends. It is the policy of the Federal Reserve that a bank holding company should eliminate, defer or significantly reduce dividends if the organization’s net income available to shareholders for the past four quarters is not sufficient to fully fund the dividends, the prospective rate of earnings retention is not consistent with the organization’s capital needs, asset quality and overall financial condition, or the bank holding company will not meet or is in danger of not meeting its minimum regulatory capital adequacy ratios. The Federal Reserve has the authority to prohibit a bank holding company, such as the Company, from paying dividends if it deems such payment to be an unsafe or unsound practice.

 

 

Restrictions on Bank Dividends. The FDIC has the authority to use its enforcement powers to prohibit a bank from paying dividends if, in its opinion, the payment of dividends would constitute an unsafe or unsound practice. Federal law also prohibits the payment of dividends by a bank that will result in the bank failing to meet its applicable capital requirements on a pro forma basis. Maine law requires the approval of the Bureau for any dividend that would reduce a bank’s capital below prescribed limits.

 

Certain Transactions by Bank Holding Companies with their Affiliates

 

There are various statutory restrictions on the extent to which bank holding companies and their non-bank subsidiaries may borrow, obtain credit from or otherwise engage in “covered transactions” with their insured depository institution subsidiaries. In general, an “affiliate” of an insured depository institution includes the depository institution’s parent holding company and any subsidiary of the parent holding company. However, an “affiliate” does not generally include an operating subsidiary of an insured depository institution. The Dodd-Frank Act amended the definition of affiliate to include any investment fund for which the depository institution or one of its affiliates is an investment adviser. An insured depository institution (and its subsidiaries) may not lend money to, or engage in other covered transactions with, its non-depository institution affiliates if the aggregate amount of covered transactions outstanding involving the bank, plus the proposed transaction, exceeds the following limits: (a) in the case of any one such affiliate, the aggregate amount of covered transactions of the insured depository institution and its subsidiaries cannot exceed 10% of the capital stock and surplus of the insured depository institution; and (b) in the case of all affiliates, the aggregate amount of covered transactions of the insured depository institution and its subsidiaries cannot exceed 20% of the capital stock and surplus of the insured depository institution. For this purpose, “covered transactions” are defined by statute to include a loan or extension of credit to an affiliate, a purchase of or investment in securities issued by an affiliate, a purchase of assets from an affiliate, the acceptance of securities issued by an affiliate as collateral for a loan or extension of credit to any person or company, the issuance of a guarantee, acceptance or letter of credit on behalf of an affiliate, securities borrowing or lending transactions with an affiliate that creates a credit exposure to such affiliate, or a derivatives transaction with an affiliate that creates a credit exposure to such affiliate. Certain covered transactions are also subject to collateral security requirements. Covered transactions as well as other types of transactions between a bank and a bank holding company must be on market terms, which means that the transaction must be conducted on terms and under circumstances that are substantially the same, or at least as favorable to the bank, as those prevailing at the time for comparable transactions with or involving nonaffiliates or, in the absence of comparable transactions, that in good faith would be offered to or would apply to nonaffiliates. Moreover, Section 106 of the Bank Holding Company Act Amendments of 1970 provides that, to further competition, a bank holding company and its subsidiaries are prohibited from engaging in certain tying arrangements in connection with any extension of credit, lease or sale of property of any kind, or furnishing of any service.

 

Consumer Protection Regulation

 

The Company and the Bank are subject to a number of federal and state laws designed to protect consumers and prohibit unfair or deceptive business practices. These laws include the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Housing Act, Home Ownership Protection Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, as amended by the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 (“FACT Act”), GLBA, the Truth in Lending Act, CRA, the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, the National Flood Insurance Act, the Electronic Funds Transfer Act, the Truth-in-Savings Act, the Secure and Fair Enforcement Act, the Expedited Funds Availability Act, and various state law counterparts. These laws and regulations mandate certain disclosure requirements and regulate the manner in which financial institutions must interact with customers when taking deposits, making loans, collecting loans and providing other services. Further, the Dodd-Frank Act established the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”), which has the responsibility for making rules and regulations under the federal consumer protection laws relating to financial products and services. The CFPB also has a broad mandate to prohibit unfair or deceptive acts and practices and is specifically empowered to require certain disclosures to consumers and draft model disclosure forms. Failure to comply with consumer protection laws and regulations can subject financial institutions to enforcement actions, fines and other penalties. The FDIC examines the Bank for compliance with CFPB rules and enforces CFPB rules with respect to the Bank.

 

Mortgage Reform. The Dodd-Frank Act prescribes certain standards that mortgage lenders must consider before making a residential mortgage loan, including verifying a borrower’s ability to repay such mortgage loan. The Dodd-Frank Act also allows borrowers to assert violations of certain provisions of the Truth-in-Lending Act as a defense to foreclosure proceedings. Under the Dodd-Frank Act, prepayment penalties are prohibited for certain mortgage transactions and creditors are prohibited from financing insurance policies in connection with a residential mortgage loan or home equity line of credit. The Dodd-Frank Act requires mortgage lenders to make additional disclosures prior to the extension of credit, in each billing statement and for negative amortization loans and hybrid adjustable-rate mortgages. Additionally, the Dodd-Frank Act prohibits mortgage originators from receiving compensation based on the terms of residential mortgage loans and generally limits the ability of a mortgage originator to be compensated by others if compensation is received from a consumer.

 

 

Privacy and Customer Information Security. GLBA requires financial institutions to implement policies and procedures regarding the disclosure of nonpublic personal information about consumers to nonaffiliated third parties. In general, the Bank must provide its customers with an annual disclosure that explains its policies and procedures regarding the disclosure of such nonpublic personal information and, except as otherwise required or permitted by law, the Bank is prohibited from disclosing such information, except as provided in such policies and procedures. However, as a result of amendments made by the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act, a financial institution is not required to send an annual privacy notice if the institution only discloses nonpublic personal information in accordance with certain exceptions from GLBA that do not require an opt-out to be provided and if the institution has not changed its policies and practices since the most recent privacy disclosure provided to consumers. GLBA also requires that the Bank develop, implement and maintain a comprehensive written information security program designed to ensure the security and confidentiality of customer information (as defined under GLBA), to protect against anticipated threats or hazards to the security or integrity of such information; and to protect against unauthorized access to or use of such information that could result in substantial harm or inconvenience to any customer. The Bank is also required to send a notice to customers whose “sensitive information” has been compromised if unauthorized use of this information has occurred or is “reasonably possible.” Most states, including Maine, have enacted legislation concerning breaches of data security and the duties of the Bank in response to a data breach. Congress continues to consider federal legislation that would require consumer notice of data security breaches. Pursuant to the FACT Act, the Bank must also develop and implement a written identity theft prevention program to detect, prevent, and mitigate identity theft in connection with the opening of certain accounts or certain existing accounts. Additionally, the FACT Act amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act to generally prohibit a person from using information received from an affiliate to make a solicitation for marketing purposes to a consumer, unless the consumer is given notice and a reasonable opportunity and a reasonable and simple method to opt out of the making of such solicitations.

 

Anti-Money Laundering

 

The Bank Secrecy Act. Under the Bank Secrecy Act (“BSA”), a financial institution is required to have systems in place to detect certain transactions, based on the size and nature of the transaction. Financial institutions are generally required to report to the United States Treasury any cash transactions involving more than $10,000. In addition, financial institutions are required to file suspicious activity reports for transactions that involve more than $5,000 and which the financial institution knows, suspects or has reason to suspect involves illegal funds, is designed to evade the requirements of the BSA or has no lawful purpose. The Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (the “USA PATRIOT Act”), which amended the BSA, is designed to deny terrorists and others the ability to obtain anonymous access to the U.S. financial system. The USA PATRIOT Act has significant implications for financial institutions and businesses of other types involved in the transfer of money. The USA PATRIOT Act, together with the implementing regulations of various federal regulatory agencies, has caused financial institutions, such as the Bank, to adopt and implement additional policies or amend existing policies and procedures with respect to, among other things, anti-money laundering compliance, suspicious activity, currency transaction reporting, customer identity verification and customer risk analysis. In evaluating an application under Section 3 of the BHCA to acquire a bank or an application under the Bank Merger Act to merge banks or affect a purchase of assets and assumption of deposits and other liabilities, the applicable federal banking regulator must consider the anti-money laundering compliance record of both the applicant and the target.

 

OFAC. The United States has imposed economic sanctions that affect transactions with designated foreign countries, nationals and others. These sanctions, which are administered by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”), take many different forms. Generally, however, they contain one or more of the following elements: (i) restrictions on trade with or investment in a sanctioned country, including prohibitions against direct or indirect imports from and exports to a sanctioned country and prohibitions on “U.S. persons” engaging in financial transactions relating to making investments in, or providing investment-related advice or assistance to, a sanctioned country; (ii) a blocking of assets in which the government or specially designated nationals of the sanctioned country have an interest, by prohibiting transfers of property subject to U.S. jurisdiction (including property in the possession or control of U.S. persons); and (iii) restrictions on transactions with or involving certain persons or entities. Blocked assets (for example, property and bank deposits) cannot be paid out, withdrawn, set off or transferred in any manner without a license from OFAC.

 

Available Information

 

The Company’s Investor Relations information can be obtained through our Internet address, investor.northeastbank.com. The Company makes available on or through its Investor Relations page, without charge, its annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed with, or furnished to, the SEC as soon as reasonably practicable after such reports have been filed or furnished to the SEC. The Company’s reports filed with, or furnished to, the SEC are also available at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. In addition, the Company makes available, free of charge, its press releases and Code of Ethics through the Company’s Investor Relations page. Information on our website is not incorporated by reference into this document and should not be considered part of this report.

 

 

Item 1A.

Risk Factors

 

Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the following risks and uncertainties, together with all other information in this report, including our consolidated financial statements and related notes, before investing in our common stock. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also affect our business. If any of these known or unknown risks or uncertainties actually occurs, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be impaired. In that event, the market price for our common stock could decline and you may lose your investment. Certain statements below are forward-looking statements. See "A Note About Forward-Looking Statements."

 

Risks Associated With Our Business

 

We are subject to regulatory conditions that could constrain our ability to grow our business.

 

In conjunction with the regulatory approvals received for the Merger with FHB Formation LLC, we committed to maintain a Tier 1 leverage ratio of at least 10%, maintain a total capital ratio of at least 15%, fund 100% of our loans with core deposits, limit purchased loans to 40% of total loans and hold non-owner occupied commercial real estate loans to within 300% of total capital. Core deposits, for purposes of this commitment, are defined as non-brokered non-maturity deposits and non-brokered insured time deposits. At June 30, 2018, the ratio of our purchased loans to total loans was 33.1%. Our continued ability to purchase loans will be dependent on our ability to maintain the growth of our originated loan portfolio. To the extent that our ability to originate loans is constrained by market forces or for any other reason, our ability to execute our loan acquisition strategy would be similarly constrained.

 

A significant portion of loans held in our loan portfolio were originated by third parties, and such loans may not have been subject to the same level of due diligence that the Bank would have conducted had it originated the loans.

 

At June 30, 2018, 33.1% of the loans held in our loan portfolio were originated by third parties, and therefore may not have been subject to the same level of due diligence that the Bank would have conducted had it originated the loans. Although the LASG conducts a comprehensive review of all loans that it purchases, loans originated by third parties may lack current financial information and may have incomplete legal documentation and outdated appraisals. As a result, the LASG may not have information with respect to an acquired loan which, if known at the time of acquisition, would have caused it to reduce its bid price or not bid for the loan at all. This may adversely affect our yield on loans or cause us to increase our allowance for loan losses.

 

Our experience with loans held in our loan portfolio that were originated by third parties is limited.

 

At June 30, 2018, the loans held in our loan portfolio that were originated by third parties had been held by us for approximately 1.8 years, calculated on a weighted average basis. Consequently, we have had only a relatively short period of time to evaluate the performance of those loans and the price at which we purchased them. Further experience with these loans may provide us with information that could cause us to increase our allowance for loan losses.

 

Our loan portfolio includes commercial real estate and commercial and industrial loans, which are generally riskier than other types of loans.

 

At June 30, 2018, our commercial real estate mortgage and commercial and industrial loan portfolios comprised 88.1% of total loans. Commercial loans generally carry larger loan balances and involve a higher risk of nonpayment or late payment than residential mortgage loans. These loans, and purchased loans in particular, may lack standardized terms and may include a balloon payment feature. The ability of a borrower to make or refinance a balloon payment may be affected by a number of factors, including the financial condition of the borrower, prevailing economic conditions and prevailing interest rates. Repayment of these loans is generally more dependent on the economy and the successful operation of a business. Because of the risks associated with commercial loans, we may experience higher rates of default than if the portfolio were more heavily weighted toward residential mortgage loans. Higher rates of default could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

 

If our allowance for loan losses is not sufficient to absorb actual losses or if we are required to increase our allowance, our financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.

 

We are exposed to the risk that our borrowers may default on their obligations. A borrower's default on its obligations under one or more loans of the Bank may result in lost principal and interest income and increased operating expenses as a result of the allocation of management time and resources to the collection and work-out of the loan. In certain situations, where collection efforts are unsuccessful or acceptable work-out arrangements cannot be reached, the Bank may have to write off the loan in whole or in part. In such situations, the Bank may acquire real estate or other assets, if any, that secure the loan through foreclosure or other similar available remedies, and often the amount owed under the defaulted loan exceeds the value of the assets acquired.

 

 

We periodically make a determination of an allowance for loan losses based on available information, including, but not limited to, our historical loss experience, the quality of the loan portfolio, certain economic conditions, the value of the underlying collateral, expected cash flows from purchased loans, and the level of nonaccruing and criticized loans. We rely on our loan quality reviews, our experience and our evaluation of economic conditions, among other factors, in determining the amount of provision required for the allowance for loan losses. Provisions to this allowance result in an expense for the period. If, as a result of general economic conditions, previously incorrect assumptions, or an increase in defaulted loans, we determine that additional increases in the allowance for loan losses are necessary, we will incur additional expenses.

 

Determining the allowance for loan losses inherently involves a high degree of subjectivity and requires us to make significant estimates of current credit risks and future trends, all of which may undergo material changes. At any time, there are likely to be loans in our portfolio that will result in losses, but that have not been identified as nonperforming or potential problem credits. We cannot be sure that we will be able to identify deteriorating credits before they become nonperforming assets or that we will be able to limit losses on those loans that are identified. We have in the past been, and in the future may be, required to increase our allowance for loan losses for any of several reasons. State and federal regulators, in reviewing our loan portfolio as part of a regulatory examination, may request that we increase our allowance for loan losses. Changes in economic conditions affecting borrowers, new information regarding existing loans, identification of additional problem loans and other factors, both within and outside of our control, may require an increase in our allowance for loan losses. In addition, if charge-offs in future periods exceed those estimated in the determination of our allowance for loan losses, we will need additional increases in our allowance for loan losses. Any increases in our allowance for loan losses will result in a decrease in our net income and, possibly, our capital, and could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

 

Environmental liability associated with our lending activities could result in losses.

 

In the course of business, we may acquire, through foreclosure, properties securing loans we have originated or purchased that are in default. Particularly in commercial real estate lending, there is a risk that hazardous substances could be discovered on these properties. In this event, we might be required to remove these substances from the affected properties at our sole cost and expense or we may be held liable to a government entity or to third parties for property damage, personal injury, investigation and cleanup costs incurred by these parties in connection with environmental contamination or may be required to investigate or clean up hazardous or toxic substances or chemical releases at a property. The costs associated with investigation or remediation activities could substantially exceed the value of the affected properties. We may not have adequate remedies against the prior owner or other responsible parties and could find it difficult or impossible to sell the affected properties. If we become subject to significant environmental liabilities, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.

 

The performance of our securities portfolio in difficult market conditions could have adverse effects on our results of operations.

 

We maintain a diversified securities portfolio, which includes obligations of U.S. government agencies and government-sponsored enterprises, including mortgage-backed securities. Under applicable accounting standards, we are required to review our securities portfolio periodically for the presence of other-than-temporary impairment, taking into consideration current market conditions, the extent and nature of changes in fair value, issuer rating changes and trends, volatility of earnings, current analysts’ evaluations, our ability and intent to hold securities until a recovery of fair value, as well as other factors. Adverse developments with respect to one or more of the foregoing factors may require us to deem particular securities to be other-than-temporarily impaired, with the credit related portion of the reduction in the fair value recognized as a charge to the results of operations in the period in which the impairment occurs. Market volatility may make it difficult to value certain securities. Subsequent valuations, in light of factors prevailing at that time, may result in significant changes in the values of these securities in future periods. Any of these factors could require us to recognize further impairments in the value of our securities portfolio, which may have an adverse effect on our results of operations in future periods.

 

Loss of deposits or a change in deposit mix could increase our cost of funding.

 

Deposits are a low-cost and stable source of funding. We compete with banks and other financial institutions for deposits. Funding costs may increase if we lose deposits and are forced to replace them with more expensive sources of funding, if clients shift their deposits into higher-cost products or if we need to raise interest rates to avoid losing deposits. Higher funding costs reduce our net interest margin, net interest income and net income.

 

 

We are subject to liquidity risk.

 

Liquidity is the ability to meet cash-flow needs on a timely basis by converting assets into cash or cash equivalents and by increasing liabilities at a reasonable cost. Liquidity sources include the amount of unencumbered or “free” investment portfolio securities that the Bank owns, borrowings, cash flow from loan and investment principal payments and pre-payments and residential mortgage loan sales. Our liquidity is used principally to originate or purchase loans, to repay deposit liabilities and other liabilities when they come due, and to fund operating costs. The Company also requires funds for dividends to shareholders, repurchases of shares, and for general corporate purposes. Customer demand for non-maturity deposits can be difficult to predict. Changes in market interest rates, increased competition within our markets, and other factors may make deposit gathering more difficult. Disruptions in the capital markets or interest rate changes may make the terms of wholesale funding sources—which include Federal Home Loan Bank advances, the Federal Reserve's Borrower-in-Custody program, securities sold under repurchase agreements, federal funds purchased and brokered certificates of deposit—less favorable and may make it difficult to sell securities when needed to provide additional liquidity. As a result, there is a risk that the cost of funding will increase or that we will not have sufficient funds to meet our obligations when they come due.

 

We may not be able to attract and retain qualified key employees, which could adversely affect our business prospects, including our competitive position and results of operations.

 

Our success is dependent upon our ability to attract and retain highly-skilled individuals. There is significant competition for those individuals with the experience and skills required to conduct many of our business activities. We may not be able to hire or retain the key personnel that we depend upon for success. The unexpected loss of services of one or more of these or other key personnel could have a material adverse impact on our business because of their skills, knowledge of the markets in which we operate, years of industry experience and the difficulty of promptly finding qualified replacement personnel.

 

We face continuing and growing security risks to our information base, including the information we maintain relating to our customers.

 

In the ordinary course of business, we rely on electronic communications and information systems to conduct our business and to store sensitive data, including financial information regarding customers. Our electronic communications and information systems infrastructure could be susceptible to cyberattacks, hacking, identity theft or terrorist activity. We have implemented and regularly review and update extensive systems of internal controls and procedures as well as corporate governance policies and procedures intended to protect our business operations, including the security and privacy of all confidential customer information. In addition, we rely on the services of a variety of vendors to meet our data processing and communication needs. No matter how well designed or implemented our controls are, we cannot provide an absolute guarantee to protect our business operations from every type of problem in every situation. A failure or circumvention of these controls could have a material adverse effect on our business operations and financial condition.

 

We regularly assess and test our security systems and disaster preparedness, including back-up systems, but the risks are substantially escalating. As a result, cybersecurity and the continued enhancement of our controls and processes to protect our systems, data and networks from attacks, unauthorized access or significant damage remain a priority. Accordingly, we may be required to expend additional resources to enhance our protective measures or to investigate and remediate any information security vulnerabilities or exposures. Any breach of our system security could result in disruption of our operations, unauthorized access to confidential customer information, significant regulatory costs, litigation exposure and other possible damages, loss or liability. Such costs or losses could exceed the amount of available insurance coverage, if any, and would adversely affect our earnings. Also, any failure to prevent a security breach or to quickly and effectively deal with such a breach could negatively impact customer confidence, damaging our reputation and undermining our ability to attract and keep customers.

 

We may not be able to successfully implement future information technology system enhancements, which could adversely affect our business operations and profitability.

 

We invest significant resources in information technology system enhancements in order to provide functionality and security at an appropriate level. We may not be able to successfully implement and integrate future system enhancements, which could adversely impact the ability to provide timely and accurate financial information in compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, which could result in sanctions from regulatory authorities. Such sanctions could include fines and suspension of trading in our stock, among others. In addition, future system enhancements could have higher than expected costs and/or result in operating inefficiencies, which could increase the costs associated with the implementation as well as ongoing operations.

 

Failure to properly utilize system enhancements that are implemented in the future could result in impairment charges that adversely impact our financial condition and results of operations and could result in significant costs to remediate or replace the defective components. In addition, we may incur significant training, licensing, maintenance, consulting and amortization expenses during and after systems implementations, and any such costs may continue for an extended period of time.

 

 

We rely on other companies to provide key components of our business infrastructure.

 

Third-party vendors provide key components of our business infrastructure such as internet connections, network access and core application processing. While we have selected these third-party vendors carefully, we do not control their actions. Any problems caused by these third parties, including as a result of their not providing us their services for any reason or their performing their services poorly, could adversely affect our ability to deliver products and services to our customers or otherwise conduct our business efficiently and effectively. Replacing these third-party vendors could also entail significant delay and expense.

 

Natural disasters, acts of terrorism and other external events could harm our business.

 

Natural disasters can disrupt our operations, result in damage to our properties, reduce or destroy the value of the collateral for our loans and negatively affect the economies in which we operate, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition. A significant natural disaster, such as a tornado, hurricane, earthquake, fire or flood, could have a material adverse impact on our ability to conduct business, and our insurance coverage may be insufficient to compensate for losses that may occur. Acts of terrorism, war, civil unrest, violence or human error could cause disruptions to our business or the economy as a whole. While we have established and regularly test disaster recovery procedures, the occurrence of any such event could have a material adverse effect on our business, operations and financial condition.

 

Damage to our reputation could significantly harm our business, including our competitive position and business prospects.

 

We are dependent on our reputation within our market area, as a trusted and responsible financial company, for all aspects of our relationships with customers, employees, vendors, third-party service providers, and others, with whom we conduct business or potential future business. Our ability to attract and retain customers and employees could be adversely affected if our reputation is damaged. Our actual or perceived failure to address various issues, including our ability to (a) identify and address potential conflicts of interest, ethical issues, money-laundering, or privacy issues; (b) meet legal and regulatory requirements applicable to the Bank and to the Company; (c) maintain the privacy of customer and accompanying personal information; (d) maintain adequate record keeping; (e) engage in proper sales and trading practices; and (f) identify the legal, reputational, credit, liquidity and market risks inherent in our products, could give rise to reputational risk that could cause harm to us and our business prospects. Failure to appropriately address any of these issues could also give rise to additional regulatory restrictions and legal risks, which could, among other consequences, increase the size and number of litigation claims and damages asserted or subject us to enforcement actions, fines and penalties and cause us to incur related costs and expenses. Furthermore, any damage to our reputation could affect our ability to retain and develop the business relationships necessary to conduct business, which in turn could negatively impact our financial condition, results of operations, and the market price of our common stock.

 

Internal controls may fail or be circumvented.

 

Effective controls over financial reporting are necessary to help ensure reliable financial reporting and prevent fraud. Management is responsible for maintaining an effective system of internal control and assessing system effectiveness. Any system of controls, however well designed and operated, is based in part on certain assumptions and can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurances that the objectives of the system are met. Any failure or circumvention of the system of internal control could have an adverse effect on our business, profitability, financial condition and operations, and could further result in regulatory actions and loss of investor confidence.

 

Our future growth, if any, may require us to raise additional capital, but that capital may not be available when we need it.

 

As a bank holding company, we are required by regulatory authorities to maintain adequate levels of capital to support our operations. In addition, in conjunction with the regulatory approvals received for the merger with FHB Formation LLC, we committed to maintain a Tier 1 leverage ratio of at least 10% and a total capital ratio of at least 15%. We may need to raise additional capital in the future to provide us with sufficient capital resources and liquidity to support our operations or our growth. Our ability to raise additional capital will depend, in part, on conditions in the capital markets at that time, which are outside of our control, and our financial performance. Accordingly, we may be unable to raise additional capital, if and when needed, on acceptable terms, or at all. If we cannot raise additional capital when needed, our ability to further expand our operations through internal growth and acquisitions could be materially impaired. In addition, if we decide to raise additional equity capital, investors' interests could be diluted. Our failure to meet any applicable regulatory guideline related to our lending activities or any capital requirement otherwise imposed upon us or to satisfy any other regulatory requirement could subject us to certain activity restrictions or to a variety of enforcement remedies available to the regulatory authorities, including limitations on our ability to pay dividends or pursue acquisitions, the issuance by regulatory authorities of a capital directive to increase capital and the termination of deposit insurance by the FDIC.

 

 

The soundness of other financial institutions could adversely affect us.

 

Our ability to engage in routine funding transactions could be adversely affected by the actions and commercial soundness of other financial institutions. Financial services institutions are interrelated as a result of trading, clearing, counterparty and other relationships. We have exposure to many different counterparties, and we routinely execute transactions with counterparties in the financial industry, including brokers and dealers, other commercial banks, investment banks, mutual and hedge funds, and other financial institutions. As a result, defaults by, or even rumors or questions about, one or more financial services institutions, or the financial services industry generally, could lead to market-wide liquidity problems and losses or defaults by us or by other institutions and organizations. Many of these transactions expose us to credit risk in the event of default of our counterparty or client. In addition, our credit risk may be exacerbated when the collateral held by us cannot be liquidated or is liquidated at prices not sufficient to recover the full amount of the financial instrument exposure due to us. There is no assurance that any such losses would not materially and adversely affect our results of operations.

 

Weakness or deterioration in economic conditions, both in our market area and more generally, could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

 

Our financial performance generally, and in particular, the ability of borrowers to pay interest on and repay principal of outstanding loans and the value of collateral securing those loans, is highly dependent upon the business environment in the markets where we operate and in the United States as a whole. Our Community Banking Division primarily serves individuals and businesses located in western and south-central Maine. As a result, a significant portion of our earnings are closely tied to the economy of Maine. In addition, our loan portfolio includes commercial loans acquired or originated by the LASG and the SBA Division that are secured by assets located nationwide. Deterioration in the economic conditions of the Community Banking Division's market area in western and south-central Maine, and deterioration of the economy nationally could result in the following consequences:

 

 

Loan delinquencies may increase;

 

 

Problem assets and foreclosures may increase;

 

 

Demand for our products and services may decline;

 

 

Collateral for our loans may decline in value, in turn reducing a customer's borrowing power and reducing the value of collateral securing a loan; and

 

 

The net worth and liquidity of loan guarantors may decline, impairing their ability to honor commitments to us.

 

We are subject to claims and litigation.

 

From time to time, customers, vendors or other parties may make claims and take legal action against us. We maintain reserves for certain claims when deemed appropriate based upon our assessment that a loss is probable, estimable, and consistent with applicable accounting guidance. At any given time, we have a variety of legal actions asserted against us in various stages of litigation. Resolution of a legal action can often take years. We are also involved, from time to time, in other reviews, investigations and proceedings (both formal and informal) by governmental and self-regulatory agencies regarding our business, including, among other things, accounting and operational matters, certain of which may result in adverse judgments, settlements, fines, penalties, injunctions or other relief. The number and risk of these investigations and proceedings has increased in recent years with regard to many firms in the financial services industry due to legal changes to the consumer protection laws provided for by the Dodd-Frank Act. There have also been a number of highly publicized legal claims against financial institutions involving fraud or misconduct by employees, and we run the risk that employee misconduct could occur. It is not always possible to deter or prevent employee misconduct, and the precautions we take to prevent and detect this activity may not be effective in all cases.

 

 

Risks Associated With the Industry

 

Competition in the financial services industry is intense and could result in us losing business or experiencing reduced margins.

 

We compete with community, regional, national and global banks, non-bank licensed lenders and private equity funds in purchasing or originating loans, attracting deposits, and selling other customer products and services. Many of our primary competitors there have substantially greater resources, larger established customer bases, higher lending limits, extensive branch networks, numerous ATMs and greater advertising and marketing budgets. They may also offer services that we do not currently provide. Additionally, due to their size, many competitors may be able to achieve economies of scale and, as a result, may offer a broader range of products and services, as well as better pricing for those products and services than we can. Technology has lowered barriers to entry and made it possible for non-banks to offer products and services traditionally provided by banks, such as automated transfer and automatic payment systems. Our long-term success depends on the ability of the Bank to compete successfully with other financial institutions in the Bank’s service areas.

 

Changes in interest rates could adversely affect our net interest income and profitability.

 

The majority of our assets and liabilities are monetary in nature. As a result, our earnings and growth are significantly affected by interest rates, which are subject to the influence of economic conditions generally, both domestic and foreign, to events in the capital markets and also to the monetary and fiscal policies of the United States and its agencies, particularly the Federal Reserve. The nature and timing of any changes in such policies or general economic conditions and their effect on us cannot be controlled and are extremely difficult to predict. Changes in interest rates can affect our net interest income as well as the value of our assets and liabilities. Net interest income is the difference between (i) interest income on interest-earning assets, such as loans and securities, and (ii) interest expense on interest-bearing liabilities, such as deposits and borrowings. Changes in market interest rates, changes in the relationships between short-term and long-term market interest rates, or the yield curve, or changes in the relationships between different interest rate indices can affect the interest rates charged on interest-earning assets differently than the interest rates paid on interest-bearing liabilities. This difference could result in an increase in interest expense relative to interest income, and therefore reduce our net interest income. Further, declines in market interest rates may trigger loan prepayments, which in many cases are within our customers' discretion, and which in turn may serve to reduce our net interest income if we are unable to lend those funds to other borrowers or invest the funds at the same or higher interest rates.

 

We operate in a highly regulated industry, and laws and regulations, or changes in them, could limit or restrict our activities and could have an adverse impact in our operations.

 

We are subject to regulation and supervision by the Federal Reserve, and our banking subsidiary, Northeast Bank, is subject to regulation and supervision by the FDIC and the Bureau. Federal and state laws and regulations govern numerous matters, including changes in the ownership or control of banks and bank holding companies, maintenance of adequate capital and the financial condition of a financial institution, permissible types, amounts and terms of extensions of credit and investments, permissible non-banking activities, the level of reserves against deposits and restrictions on dividend payments. The Federal Reserve, the FDIC and the Bureau have the power to issue cease and desist orders to prevent or remedy unsafe or unsound practices or violations of law by banks subject to their regulation, and the Federal Reserve possesses similar powers with respect to bank holding companies. These and other restrictions limit the manner in which we and the Bank may conduct business and obtain financing.

 

Because our business is highly regulated, the laws, rules, regulations, and supervisory guidance and policies applicable to us are subject to regular modification and change. Such changes may, among other things, increase the cost of doing business, limit permissible activities, or affect the competitive balance between banks and other financial institutions. Failure to comply with laws, regulations, or policies could result in enforcement and other legal actions by federal and state authorities, including criminal and civil penalties, the loss of FDIC insurance, revocation of a banking charter, other sanctions by regulatory agencies, civil money penalties, and/or reputation damage, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. See "Supervision and Regulation" in Item 1, "Business."

 

We are subject to capital and liquidity standards that require banks and bank holding companies to maintain more and higher quality capital and greater liquidity than has historically been the case.

 

We became subject to new capital requirements in 2015 that will be fully phased-in on January 1, 2019, which will force bank holding companies and their bank subsidiaries to maintain substantially higher levels of capital as a percentage of their assets, with a greater emphasis on common equity as opposed to other components of capital. The need to maintain more and higher quality capital, as well as greater liquidity, and generally increased regulatory scrutiny with respect to capital levels, may at some point limit our business activities, including lending, and our ability to expand. It could also result in our being required to take steps to increase our regulatory capital and may dilute shareholder value or limit our ability to pay dividends or otherwise return capital to our investors through stock repurchases. Pursuant to the Dodd-Frank Act, we were permitted to make a one-time, permanent election to continue to exclude accumulated other comprehensive income from capital. We made this election.

 

 

We are subject to numerous laws designed to protect consumers, including the Community Reinvestment Act and fair lending laws, and failure to comply with these laws could lead to a wide variety of sanctions.

 

The Community Reinvestment Act, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Housing Act and other fair lending laws and regulations impose community investment and nondiscriminatory lending requirements on financial institutions. The CFPB, the Department of Justice and other federal agencies are responsible for enforcing these laws and regulations. A successful regulatory challenge to an institution’s performance under the Community Reinvestment Act, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Housing Act or other fair lending laws and regulations could result in a wide variety of sanctions, including damages and civil money penalties, injunctive relief, restrictions on mergers and acquisitions, restrictions on expansion and restrictions on entering new business lines. Private parties may also have the ability to challenge an institution’s performance under fair lending laws in private class action litigation. Such actions could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

We may incur fines, penalties and other negative consequences from regulatory violations, possibly even inadvertent or unintentional violations.

 

We maintain systems and procedures designed to ensure that we comply with applicable laws and regulations. However, some legal/regulatory frameworks provide for the imposition of fines or penalties for noncompliance even though the noncompliance was inadvertent or unintentional and even though there was in place at the time systems and procedures designed to ensure compliance. For example, we are subject to regulations issued by the Office of Foreign Assets Control, or "OFAC," that prohibit financial institutions from participating in the transfer of property belonging to the governments of certain foreign countries and designated nationals of those countries and certain other persons or entities whose interest in property is blocked by OFAC-administered sanctions. OFAC may impose penalties for inadvertent or unintentional violations even if reasonable processes are in place to prevent the violations. There may be other negative consequences resulting from a finding of noncompliance, including restrictions on certain activities. Such a finding may also damage our reputation as described below and could restrict the ability of institutional investment managers to invest in our securities.

 

The FDIC's assessment rates could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

 

The FDIC insures deposits at FDIC-insured depository institutions, such as the Bank, up to applicable limits. As a result of recent economic conditions, the FDIC has decreased deposit insurance assessment rates. If these decreases are insufficient for the deposit insurance fund of the FDIC to meet its funding requirements, there may need to be further special assessments or increases in deposit insurance premiums. We are generally unable to control the amount of premiums that we are required to pay for FDIC insurance. If there is an increase in bank or financial institution failures, we may be required to pay even higher FDIC premiums than the recently increased levels. Any future additional assessments, increases or required prepayments in FDIC insurance premiums may materially adversely affect results of operations, including by reducing our profitability or limiting our ability to pursue certain business opportunities.

 

Changes in accounting standards can materially impact our financial statements.

 

Our accounting policies and methods are fundamental to how we record and report our financial condition and results of operations. From time to time, the Financial Accounting Standards Board or regulatory authorities change the financial accounting and reporting standards that govern the preparation of our financial statements. These changes can be hard to predict and can materially impact how we record and report our financial condition and results of operations. In some cases, we could be required to apply a new or revised standard retroactively, resulting in our restating prior period financial statements.

 

Changes in tax laws and regulations and differences in interpretation of tax laws and regulations may adversely impact our financial statements.

 

Local, state or federal tax authorities may interpret tax laws and regulations differently than we do and challenge tax positions that we have taken on tax returns. This may result in differences in the treatment of revenues, deductions, credits and/or differences in the timing of these items. The differences in treatment may result in payment of additional taxes, interest or penalties that could have a material adverse effect on our results.

 

 

Risks Associated With Our Common Stock

 

Market volatility has affected and may continue to affect the value of our common stock.

 

The price of our common stock can fluctuate widely in response to a variety of factors. In addition, the trading volume in our common stock may fluctuate and cause significant price variations to occur. We cannot assure you that the market price of our common stock will not fluctuate or decline significantly. Some of the factors that could cause fluctuations or declines in the price of our common stock include, but are not limited to, actual or anticipated variations in reported operating results, recommendations by securities analysts, the level of trading activity in our common stock, new services or delivery systems offered by competitors, business combinations involving our competitors, operating and stock price performance of companies that investors deem to be comparable to the Bank, news reports relating to trends or developments in the credit, mortgage and housing markets as well as the financial services industry, and changes in government regulations.

 

Our common stock trading volume may not provide adequate liquidity for investors.

 

Our voting common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Global Market. The average daily trading volume for Northeast voting common stock is less than the corresponding trading volume for larger financial institutions. Due to this relatively low trading volume, significant sales of Northeast voting common stock, or the expectation of these sales, may place significant downward pressure on the market price of Northeast voting common stock. No assurance can be given that a more active trading market in our common stock will develop in the foreseeable future or can be maintained. There can also be no assurance that the offering will result in a material increase in the "float" for our common stock, which we define as the aggregate market value of our voting common stock held by shareholders who are not affiliates of Northeast, because our affiliates may purchase shares of voting common stock in the offering.

 

There is a limited market for and restrictions on the transferability of our non-voting common stock.

 

Our non-voting common stock is not and will not be listed on any exchange. Additionally, the non-voting common stock can only be transferred in certain limited circumstances set forth in our articles of incorporation. Accordingly, holders of our non-voting common stock may be required to bear the economic consequences of holding such non-voting common stock for an indefinite period of time.

 

If we defer payments of interest on our outstanding junior subordinated debt securities or if certain defaults relating to those debt securities or our outstanding subordinated notes occur, we will be prohibited from declaring or paying dividends or distributions on, and from making liquidation payments with respect to, our common stock.

 

As of June 30, 2018, we had outstanding $16.5 million in aggregate principal amount of junior subordinated debt securities issued in connection with the sale of trust preferred securities by affiliates of ours that are statutory business trusts. We have also guaranteed those trust preferred securities. The indenture under which the junior subordinated debt securities were issued, together with the guarantee, prohibits us, subject to limited exceptions, from declaring or paying any dividends or distributions on, or redeeming, repurchasing, acquiring or making any liquidation payments with respect to, any of our capital stock at any time when (i) there shall have occurred and be continuing an event of default under the indenture; (ii) we are in default with respect to payment of any obligations under the guarantee; or (iii) we have elected to defer payment of interest on the junior subordinated debt securities. In that regard, we are entitled, at our option but subject to certain conditions, to defer payments of interest on the junior subordinated debt securities from time to time for up to five years.

 

Events of default under the indenture generally consist of our failure to pay interest on the junior subordinated debt securities under certain circumstances, our failure to pay any principal of or premium on such junior subordinated debt securities when due, our failure to comply with certain covenants under the indenture, and certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or liquidation relating to us.

 

As a result of these provisions, if we were to elect to defer payments of interest on the junior subordinated debt securities, or if any of the other events described in clause (i) or (ii) of the first paragraph of this risk factor were to occur, we would be prohibited from declaring or paying any dividends on our capital stock, from redeeming, repurchasing or otherwise acquiring any of our capital stock, and from making any payments to holders of our capital stock in the event of our liquidation, which would likely have a material adverse effect on the market value of our common stock.

 

As of June 30, 2018, we had outstanding $15.05 million in aggregate principal amount of 6.75% fixed-to-floating subordinated notes due in 2026. If we were to be in default with respect to payment of any obligation under the notes, we would be prohibited from declaring or paying any dividends. We would also be prohibited from paying any distributions on, redeeming, purchasing, acquiring, or making a liquidation payment with respect to any of the Company’s capital stock, which would likely have a material adverse effect on the market value of our common stock.

 

 

We are dependent upon our subsidiaries for dividends, distributions and other payments.

 

We are a separate and distinct legal entity from the Bank, and depend on dividends, distributions and other payments from the Bank to fund dividend payments on our common stock and to fund all payments on our other obligations. We and the Bank are subject to laws that authorize regulatory authorities to block or reduce the flow of funds from the Bank to us. The FDIC has the authority to use its enforcement powers to prohibit a bank from paying dividends if, in its opinion, the payment of dividends would constitute an unsafe or unsound practice. Regulatory action of that kind could impede access to the funds that we need in order to make payments on its obligations or dividend payments. In addition, if the Bank does not maintain sufficient capital levels or its earnings are not sufficient to make dividend payments to us, we may not be able to make dividend payments to our common and preferred shareholders. Further, our right to participate in a distribution of assets upon a subsidiary's liquidation or reorganization is subject to the prior claims of the Bank's creditors. Additionally, our ability to pay dividends would be restricted if we do not maintain a capital conservation buffer. A reduction or elimination of dividends could adversely affect the market price of our common stock.

 

We may not be able to pay dividends and, if we pay dividends, we cannot guarantee the amount and frequency of such dividends.

 

The continued payment of dividends on shares of our common stock will depend upon our debt and equity structure, earnings and financial condition, need for capital in connection with possible future acquisitions, growth and other factors, including economic conditions, regulatory restrictions, and tax considerations. We cannot guarantee that we will pay dividends or, if we pay dividends, the amount and frequency of these dividends.

 

We may issue additional shares of common or preferred stock in the future, which could dilute a shareholder's ownership of common stock.

 

Our articles of incorporation authorize our Board of Directors, generally without shareholder approval, to, among other things, issue additional shares of common or preferred stock. The issuance of any additional shares of common or preferred stock could be dilutive to a shareholder's ownership of our common stock. To the extent that we issue options or warrants to purchase common stock in the future and the options or warrants are exercised, our shareholders may experience further dilution. Holders of shares of our common stock have no preemptive rights that entitle holders to purchase their pro rata share of any offering of shares of any class or series and, therefore, shareholders may not be permitted to invest in future issuances of Northeast common or preferred stock. We are required by federal and state regulatory authorities to maintain adequate levels of capital to support our operations. Accordingly, regulatory requirements and/or deterioration in our asset quality may require us to sell common stock to raise capital under circumstances and at prices that result in substantial dilution.

 

We may issue debt and equity securities that are senior to our common stock as to distributions and in liquidation, which could negatively affect the value of our common stock.

 

In the future, we may increase our capital resources by entering into debt or debt-like financing or issuing debt or equity securities, which could include issuances of senior notes, subordinated notes, preferred stock or common stock. In the event of our liquidation, our lenders and holders of its debt or preferred securities would receive a distribution of our available assets before distributions to the holders of Northeast common stock. Our decision to incur debt and issue securities in future offerings will depend on market conditions and other factors beyond our control. We cannot predict or estimate the amount, timing or nature of our future offerings and debt financings. Future offerings could reduce the value of shares of our common stock and dilute a shareholder's interest in Northeast.

 

Our common stock is not insured by any governmental entity.

 

Our common stock is not a deposit account or other obligation of any bank and is not insured by the FDIC or any other governmental entity.

 

Anti-takeover provisions could negatively impact our shareholders.

 

Federal law imposes restrictions, including regulatory approval requirements, on persons seeking to acquire control over Northeast. Provisions of Maine law and provisions of our articles of incorporation and by-laws could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire control of us or have the effect of discouraging a third party from attempting to acquire control of us. We have a classified Board of Directors, meaning that approximately one-third of our directors are elected annually. Additionally, our articles of organization authorize our Board of Directors to issue preferred stock without shareholder approval and such preferred stock could be issued as a defensive measure in response to a takeover proposal. Other provisions that could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire us even if an acquisition might be in the best interest of our shareholders include supermajority voting requirements to remove a director from office without cause; restrictions on shareholders calling a special meeting; a requirement that only directors may fill a Board vacancy; and provisions regarding the timing and content of shareholder proposals and nominations.

 

 

Item 1B.

Unresolved Staff Comments

 

None.

 

Item 2.

Properties

 

At June 30, 2018, the Company conducted its business from its headquarters in Lewiston, Maine, an office in Boston, Massachusetts, and an office in Portland, Maine. The Company also conducts business from its ten full-service bank branches. The Company believes that all of its facilities are well maintained and suitable for the purpose for which they are used.

 

In addition to its Lewiston, Maine, Boston, Massachusetts and Portland, Maine offices, the Company leases three of its other locations. For information regarding the Company's lease commitments, please refer to "Lease Obligations" under Note 15 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 of this Annual Report.

 

Item 3.

Legal Proceedings

 

From time to time, the Company and its subsidiary are subject to certain legal proceedings and claims in the ordinary course of business. Management presently believes that the ultimate outcome of these proceedings, individually and in the aggregate, will not be material to the Company or its consolidated financial position. The Company establishes reserves for specific legal matters when it determines that the likelihood of an unfavorable outcome is probable and the loss is reasonably estimable. Legal proceedings are subject to inherent uncertainties, and unfavorable rulings could occur that could cause the Company to establish litigation reserves or could have, individually or in the aggregate, a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition, or operating results.

 

Item 4.

Mine Safety Disclosures

 

Not applicable.

 

 

PART II

 

Item 5.

Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Shareholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

 

The Company's voting common stock currently trades on the NASDAQ under the symbol "NBN." There is no established public trading market for the Company's non-voting common stock. As of the close of business on September 7, 2018, there were approximately 453 registered shareholders of record.

 

The following table sets forth the high and low closing sale prices of the Company's voting common stock, as reported on NASDAQ, and quarterly dividends paid on the Company's voting and non-voting common stock during the periods indicated:

 

 

Fiscal year ended June 30, 2018

 

High

   

Low

   

Dividend Paid

 

Jul 1 – Sep 30

  $ 26.95     $ 20.05     $ 0.01  

Oct 1 – Dec 31

    29.25       23.15       0.01  

Jan 1 – Mar 31

    24.90       20.45       0.01  

Apr 1 – Jun 30

    23.90       19.25       0.01  

 

Fiscal year ended June 30, 2017

 

High

   

Low

   

Dividend Paid

 

Jul 1 – Sep 30

  $ 11.55     $ 10.29     $ 0.01  

Oct 1 – Dec 31

    13.08       10.88       0.01  

Jan 1 – Mar 31

    15.74       13.24       0.01  

Apr 1 – Jun 30

    20.75       14.99       0.01  

 

Holders of the Company's voting and non-voting common stock are entitled to receive dividends when and if declared by the Board of Directors out of funds legally available. The amount and timing of future dividends payable on the Company's voting and non-voting common stock will depend on, among other things, the financial condition of the Company, regulatory considerations, and other factors. The Company is a legal entity separate from the Bank, but its revenues are derived primarily from the Bank. Accordingly, the ability of the Company to pay cash dividends on its stock in the future generally will be dependent upon the earnings of the Bank and the Bank's ability to pay dividends to the Company. The payment of dividends by the Bank will depend on a number of factors, including capital requirements, regulatory limitations, the Bank's results of operations and financial condition, tax considerations, and general economic conditions. National banking laws regulate and restrict the ability of the Bank to pay dividends to the Company. See "Item 1. Business—Supervision and Regulation."

 

On October 21, 2016, the Board of Directors voted to amend the existing stock repurchase program to authorize the Company to purchase an additional 500,000 shares of its common stock, representing 5.7% of the Company’s outstanding common shares. Under the existing program, implemented in April 2014, the Company has purchased 1,970,000 shares through October 25, 2016 and no shares remained available for repurchase under the program on that date, prior to the 500,000 share increase in the repurchase plan. The amended stock repurchase program will expire on October 21, 2018.

 

There were no common stock purchases during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2018.

 

 

Stock Performance Graph

 

Below is a line graph comparing the yearly percentage change in the cumulative total shareholder return on the Company’s voting common stock, based on the market price of the Company’s voting common stock, with the total return on companies within the NASDAQ Composite Index and companies within the SNL $1B-$5B Bank Index. The calculation of cumulative return assumes a $100 investment in the Company’s common stock, the NASDAQ Composite Index, and the SNL $1B-$5B Bank Index on June 30, 2013. It also assumes that all dividends are reinvested during the relevant periods.

 

 

 

 

Index

 

6/30/2013

   

6/30/2014

   

6/30/2015

   

6/30/2016

   

6/30/2017

   

6/30/2018

 
                                                 

Northeast Bancorp

  $ 100.00     $ 99.27     $ 103.22     $ 116.70     $ 211.10     $ 226.14  
                                                 

NASDAQ Composite Index

    100.00       128.35       145.20       141.00       178.79       218.67  
                                                 

SNL Bank $1B - $5B Index

    100.00       123.60       137.71       143.81       210.02       223.37  

 

 

Item 6.

Selected Financial Data

 

The following table sets forth our selected financial and operating data on a historical basis. The data set forth below does not purport to be complete. It should be read in conjunction with, and is qualified in its entirety by, the more detailed information, including the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements and related notes, appearing elsewhere herein.

 

    As of and for the Twelve Months Ended June 30,  
    2018    

2017

   

2016

   

2015

   

2014

 
    (Dollars in thousands, except per share data)  

Selected operations data:

                                       
                                         

Interest and dividend income

  $ 65,893     $ 57,921     $ 47,235     $ 44,588     $ 38,371  

Interest expense

    12,584       10,096       7,855       7,220       6,653  

Net interest income

    53,309       47,825       39,380       37,368       31,718  

Provision for loan losses

    1,410       1,594       1,618       717       531  

Noninterest income

    7,028       9,696       7,773       7,089       4,869  

Net securities gains

    -       -       -       -       -  

Noninterest expense

    35,730       35,789       33,812       32,604       31,777  

Income before income taxes

    23,197       20,138       11,723       11,136       4,279  

Income tax expense

    7,031       7,779       4,104       3,995       1,579  

Net income from continuing operations

    16,166       12,359       7,619       7,141       2,700  

Net (loss) income from discontinued operations

    -       -       -       -       (8 )

Net income

  $ 16,166     $ 12,359     $ 7,619     $ 7,141     $ 2,692  

Consolidated per share data:

                                       

Earnings:

                                       

Basic:

                                       

Continuing operations

  $ 1.81     $ 1.39     $ 0.80     $ 0.72     $ 0.26  

Discontinued operations

    0.00       0.00       0.00       0.00       0.00  

Total

  $ 1.81     $ 1.39     $ 0.80     $ 0.72     $ 0.26  

Diluted:

                                       

Continuing operations

  $ 1.77     $ 1.38     $ 0.80     $ 0.72     $ 0.26  

Discontinued operations

    0.00       0.00       0.00       0.00       0.00  

Total

  $ 1.77     $ 1.38     $ 0.80     $ 0.72     $ 0.26  

Cash dividends

  $ 0.04     $ 0.04     $ 0.04     $ 0.04     $ 0.28  

Book value

    15.49       13.90       12.51       11.77       11.05  
                                         

Selected balance sheet data:

                                       
                                         

Total assets

  $ 1,157,736     $ 1,076,874     $ 986,153     $ 850,718     $ 761,931  
Loans     871,802       779,195       692,436       612,137       516,416  

Deposits

    954,940       889,850       800,432       674,759       574,329  
Borrowings and capital lease obligations     39,563       44,504       54,534       52,568       66,005  
Total shareholders’ equity     138,430       122,797       116,591       112,727       112,066  
                                         

Other ratios:

                                       

Return on average assets

    1.49 %     1.22 %     0.85 %     0.89 %     0.37 %

Return on average equity

    12.47 %     10.62 %     6.66 %     6.35 %     2.39 %

Efficiency ratio

    59.22 %     62.22 %     71.71 %     73.34 %     86.85 %

Average equity to average total assets

    11.94 %     11.52 %     12.71 %     14.00 %     15.38 %

Common dividend payout ratio

    2.26 %     2.90 %     5.00 %     5.56 %     107.69 %

Tier 1 leverage capital ratio

    13.12 %     12.81 %     13.27 %     14.49 %     15.90 %

Total capital ratio

    19.28 %     19.48 %     20.39 %     20.14 %     23.69 %

 

 

Item 7.

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

 

Northeast Bancorp is a Maine corporation and a bank holding company registered with the Federal Reserve under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956. The Company also is a registered Maine financial institution holding company, and is subject to regulation by both the Bureau and the Federal Reserve. The Company's principal asset is the capital stock of Northeast Bank, a Maine state-chartered universal bank, which is regulated by the FDIC and the Bureau. The Company's results of operations are primarily dependent on the results of the operations of the Bank.

 

The Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, which follows, presents a review of the consolidated operating results of the Company for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2018 ("fiscal 2018") and the fiscal year ended June 30, 2017 ("fiscal 2017"). This discussion and analysis is intended to assist you in understanding the results of our operations and financial condition. You should read this discussion together with your review of the Company's Consolidated Financial Statements and related notes and other statistical information included in this report. Certain amounts in the periods prior to fiscal 2018 have been reclassified to conform to the fiscal 2018 presentation.

 

Overview

 

On December 29, 2010, the Merger of the Company and FHB Formation LLC, a Delaware limited liability company ("FHB"), was consummated. In connection with the transaction, as part of the regulatory approval process the Company made certain commitments to the Federal Reserve, the most significant of which are, (i) maintain a Tier 1 leverage ratio of at least 10%, (ii) maintain a total capital ratio of at least 15%, (iii) limit purchased loans to 40% of total loans, (iv) fund 100% of the Company's loans with core deposits (defined as non-maturity deposits and non-brokered insured time deposits), and (v) hold commercial real estate loans (including owner-occupied commercial real estate) to within 300% of total capital.

 

On June 28, 2013, the Federal Reserve approved the amendment of the commitment to hold commercial real estate loans to within 300% of total capital to exclude owner-occupied commercial real estate loans. All other commitments made to the Federal Reserve in connection with the Merger remain unchanged. The Company and the Bank are currently in compliance with all commitments to the Federal Reserve.

 

The Company's compliance ratios at June 30, 2018 are as follows:

 

Condition

 

Ratio

 

(i)   Tier 1 leverage ratio

    13.12 %

(ii)  Total capital ratio

    19.28 %

(iii) Ratio of purchased loans to total loans

    33.10 %

(iv) Ratio of loans to core deposits (1)

    91.54 %

(v)  Ratio of non-owner occupied commercial real estate loans to total capital (2)

    200.74 %

 

(1)

Core deposits include all non-maturity deposits and non-brokered insured time deposits

(2)

For purposes of calculating this ratio, commercial real estate includes all non-owner occupied commercial real estate loans defined as such by regulatory   guidance, including all land development and construction loans

 

 

Fiscal 2018 Financial Highlights

 

The Company's financial and strategic highlights for fiscal 2018 include the following:

 

 

Earned net income of $16.2 million, or $1.77 per diluted common share, compared to $12.3 million, or $1.38 per diluted common share, for the year ended June 30, 2017.

 

 

Generated loans of $460.4 million, growing the portfolio on a net basis by $92.6 million, or 11.9%.

 

 

LASG purchased loans totaling $124.1 million and originated loans totaling $224.5 million, earning average portfolio yields of 11.4% and 6.8%, respectively. The purchased loan yield of 11.4% includes regularly scheduled interest and accretion, and accelerated accretion and fees recognized on loan payoffs. The Company also monitors the "total return" on its purchased loan portfolio, a measure that includes gains on asset sales, gains on real estate owned, as well as interest, scheduled accretion and accelerated accretion and fees. On this basis, the purchased loan portfolio earned a total return of 11.7% for fiscal 2018.

 

 

An overview of the LASG portfolio follows:

 

   

Years Ended June 30,

 
    2018     2017  
    Purchased     Originated    

Secured Loans to

Broker-Dealers

    Total LASG     Purchased     Originated    

Secured Loans to

Broker-Dealers

    Total LASG  
    (Dollars in thousands)  

Loans purchased or originated during the period:

                                                               

Unpaid principal balance

  $ 137,249     $ 224,546     $ -     $ 361,795     $ 126,713     $ 237,691     $ -     $ 364,404  

Net investment basis

    124,111       224,546       -       348,657       112,807       237,691       -       350,498  

Loan returns during the period:

                                                               

Yield

    11.35 %     6.80 %     0.00 %     8.66 %     12.24 %     6.21 %     0.82 %     8.69 %

Total Return (1)

    11.73 %     6.80 %     0.00 %     8.82 %     12.30 %     6.21 %     0.82 %     8.72 %
                                                                 
                                                                 

Total loans as of period end:

                                                               

Unpaid principal balance

  $ 326,855     $ 397,363     $ -     $ 724,218     $ 279,854     $ 330,515     $ -     $ 610,369  

Net investment basis

    290,972       397,363       -       688,335       246,388       330,515       -       576,903  

 

 

(1)

The total return on purchased loans represents scheduled accretion, accelerated accretion, gains on asset sales, gains on real estate owned and other noninterest income recorded during the period divided by the average invested balance, which includes loans held for sale, on an annualized basis. The total return does not include the effect of purchased loan charge-offs or recoveries in the year.

 

 

Increased the Company's deposit base by $65.1 million, primarily the result of growth in non-maturity accounts of $50.0 million, or 9.0%, and growth in time deposits of $15.1 million, or 4.5%.

 

 

Originated $45.1 million in SBA guaranteed loans through June 30, 2018, and sold $29.2 million of loans, for a gain on sale of $3.0 million.

 

 

Results of Operations

 

General

 

Net income for the year ended June 30, 2018 increased by $3.9 million to $16.2 million, compared to $12.3 million for the year ended June 30, 2017.

 

Items of significance affecting the Company's earnings included:

 

 

An increase in net interest and dividend income before provision for loan losses, which grew to $53.3 million as compared to $47.8 million for the year ended June 30, 2017. The increase was primarily due to higher average balances in the LASG originated portfolio, partially offset by higher rates paid on deposits and higher average balances in the deposit portfolio.

 

 

The following table summarizes interest income and related yields recognized on the Company's loans:

 

   

Years Ended June 30,

 
   

2018

   

2017

 
   

Average

   

Interest

           

Average

   

Interest

         
   

Balance (1)

   

Income

   

Yield

   

Balance (1)

   

Income (2)

   

Yield

 
   

(Dollars in thousands)

 

Community Banking Division

  $ 139,239     $ 6,871       4.93 %   $ 190,704     $ 9,102       4.77 %

SBA

    53,030       3,888       7.33 %     42,946       2,619       6.10 %

LASG:

                                               

Originated

    350,427       23,834       6.80 %     239,796       14,883       6.21 %

Purchased

    242,652       27,553       11.35 %     236,937       28,997       12.24 %

Secured Loans to Broker-Dealers

    -       -       0.00 %     31,085       256       0.82 %

Total LASG

    593,079       51,387       8.66 %     507,818       44,136       8.69 %

Total

  $ 785,348     $ 62,146       7.91 %   $ 741,468     $ 55,857       7.53 %

 

   

(1) Includes loans held for sale.

 

 

 

The yield on purchased loans is affected by unscheduled loan payoffs, which result in immediate recognition of the prepaid loans’ discount in interest income. The following table details the “total return” on purchased loans, which includes total transactional income of $9.7 million for the year ended June 30, 2018, a decrease of $439 thousand from the year ended June 30, 2017. The following table summarizes the total return recognized on the purchased loan portfolio:

 

   

Years Ended June 30,

 
   

2018

   

2017

 
   

Income

   

Return (1)

   

Income

   

Return (1)

 
   

(Dollars in thousands)

 

Regularly scheduled interest and accretion

  $ 18,752       7.73 %   $ 18,975       8.01 %

Transactional income:

                               

Gain on loan sales

    918       0.38 %     -       0.00 %

Gain on sale of real estate owned

    -       0.00 %     148       0.06 %

Other noninterest income

    -       0.00 %     (12 )     0.00 %

Accelerated accretion and loan fees

    8,801       3.62 %     10,022       4.23 %

Total transactional income

    9,719       4.00 %     10,158       4.29 %

Total

  $ 28,471       11.73 %   $ 29,133       12.30 %

 

 

 

(1)

The total return on purchased loans represents scheduled accretion, accelerated accretion, gains on asset sales, gains on real estate owned and other noninterest income recorded during the period divided by the average invested balance, which includes loans held for sale. The total return does not include the effect of purchased loan charge-offs or recoveries. Total return is considered a non-GAAP financial measure.

 

 

A decrease of $2.7 million in noninterest income, principally resulting from a decrease of $2.3 million in gains realized on the sale of SBA loans. The year ended June 30, 2018 includes gains realized on the sale of SBA loans of $3.0 million. Additionally, there was a decrease in gain on sale of residential loans held for sale of $521 thousand, and a decrease in other noninterest income of $135 thousand, due to an increased loss recognized on real estate owned and other repossessed collateral. These increases were offset by an increase in gain on the sale of other loans of $553 thousand, due to the sale of four LASG purchased loans for a total gain of $918 thousand, as compared to the sale of a Community Banking Division commercial loan portfolio for a total gain of $365 thousand in fiscal 2017.

 

 

A decrease of $59 thousand in noninterest expense, principally due to a decrease of $417 thousand in occupancy and equipment expense, due to decreased computer equipment repairs and maintenance expense and computer and software depreciation expense, and a decrease of $380 thousand in loan acquisition and collection expense, due to lower loan workout expenses. These decreases were offset by an increase of $703 thousand in data processing fees, primarily due to the increased cost associated with the outsourcing of data processing.

 

 

Net Interest Income

 

The following table sets forth average balance sheets, average yields and costs, and certain other information for the periods indicated:

 

   

Years Ended June 30,

 
   

2018

   

2017

   

2016

 
           

Interest

   

Average

           

Interest

   

Average

           

Interest

   

Average

 
   

Average

   

Income/

   

Yield/

   

Average

   

Income/

   

Yield/

   

Average

   

Income/

   

Yield/

 
   

Balance

   

Expense

   

Rate

   

Balance

   

Expense

   

Rate

   

Balance

   

Expense

   

Rate

 
   

(Dollars in thousands)

 

Assets:

                                                                       

Interest-earning assets:

                                                                       

Investment securities

  $ 92,599     $ 1,111       1.20 %   $ 95,624     $ 1,018       1.06 %   $ 100,503     $ 930       0.93 %

Loans (1) (2) (3)

    785,348       62,156       7.91 %     741,468       55,928       7.54 %     664,902       45,921       6.91 %

FHLBB stock

    1,803       89       4.94 %     2,172       90       4.14 %     2,960       113       3.82 %

Short-term investments (4)

    171,360       2,547       1.49 %     133,599       956       0.72 %     91,563       343       0.37 %

Total interest-earning assets

    1,051,110       65,903       6.27 %     972,863       57,992       5.96 %     859,928       47,307       5.50 %

Cash and due from banks

    2,889                       2,833                       3,596                  

Other non-interest earning assets

    31,550                       32,394                       35,607                  

Total assets

  $ 1,085,549                     $ 1,008,090                     $ 899,131                  
                                                                         

Liabilities & Shareholders' Equity:

                                                                       

Interest-bearing liabilities:

                                                                       

NOW accounts

  $ 70,486     $ 210       0.30 %   $ 70,912     $ 204       0.29 %   $ 68,304     $ 182       0.27 %

Money market accounts

    407,680       5,145       1.26 %     322,011       3,120       0.97 %     212,102       1,845       0.87 %

Savings accounts

    37,514       57       0.15 %     36,438       50       0.14 %     36,062       48       0.13 %

Time deposits

    311,544       4,485       1.44 %     326,601       3,983       1.22 %     349,978       3,952       1.13 %

Total interest-bearing deposits

    827,224       9,897       1.20 %     755,962       7,357       0.97 %     666,446       6,027       0.90 %

Short-term borrowings

    -       -       0.00 %     -       -       0.00 %     1,634       20       1.22 %

FHLBB advances

    16,947       547       3.23 %     24,334       800       3.29 %     32,432       1,094       3.37 %

Subordinated debt

    23,787       2,102       8.84 %     23,468       1,888       8.04 %     8,762       651       7.43 %

Capital lease obligations

    730       38       5.21 %     992       51       5.14 %     1,242       63       5.07 %

Total interest-bearing liabilities

    868,688       12,584       1.45 %     804,756       10,096       1.25 %     710,516       7,855       1.11 %
                                                                         

Non-interest bearing liabilities:

                                                                       

Demand deposits and escrow accounts

    79,767                       79,560                       67,041                  

Other liabilities

    7,472                       7,599                       7,252                  

Total liabilities

    955,927                       891,915                       784,809                  

Shareholders' equity

    129,622                       116,175                       114,322                  

Total liabilities and shareholders' equity

  $ 1,085,549                     $ 1,008,090                     $ 899,131                  
                                                                         

Net interest income (5)

          $ 53,319                     $ 47,896                     $ 39,452          
                                                                         

Interest rate spread (5)

                    4.82 %                     4.71 %                     4.39 %

Net interest margin (6)

                    5.07 %                     4.92 %                     4.59 %

 

(1) 

Interest income and yield are stated on a fully tax-equivalent basis using the statutory tax rate.

(2) 

Includes loans held for sale.

(3) 

Nonaccrual loans are included in the computation of average, but unpaid interest has not been included for purposes of determining interest income.

(4) Short-term investments include FHLBB and FRB overnight deposits and other interest-bearing deposits.
(5) 

Includes tax-exempt interest income of $10 thousand, $71 thousand, and $72 thousand for the years ended June 30, 2018, 2017, and 2016, respectively.

(6) 

Net interest margin is calculated as net interest income divided by total interest-earning assets.

 

 

 

The following tables present the extent to which changes in volume and interest rates of interest earning assets and interest bearing liabilities have affected the Company’s interest income and interest expense during the periods indicated. Information is provided in each category with respect to (i) changes attributable to changes in volume (changes in volume multiplied by prior period rate), (ii) changes attributable to changes in rates (changes in rates multiplied by prior period volume) and (iii) changes attributable to a combination of changes in rate and volume (change in rates multiplied by the changes in volume). Changes attributable to the combined impact of volume and rate have been allocated proportionately to the changes due to volume and the changes due to rate.

 

 

   

Year Ended June 30, 2018

Compared to the Year Ended June 30, 2017

 
   

Change Due to Volume

   

Change Due to Rate

   

Total Change

 
   

(Dollars in thousands)

 

Interest earning assets:

                       

Investment securities

  $ (33 )   $ 126     $ 93  

Loans

    3,399       2,829       6,228  

FHLBB stock

    (16 )     15       (1 )

Short-term investments

    330       1,261       1,591  

Total increase in interest income

    3,680       4,231       7,911  

Interest-bearing liabilities:

                       

Interest-bearing deposits

    707       1,833       2,540  

Short-term borrowings

    (238 )     (15 )     (253 )

Subordinated debt

    26       188       214  

Capital lease obligations

    (14 )     1       (13 )

Total increase in interest expense

    481       2,007       2,488  

Total increase in net interest and dividend income

  $ 3,199     $ 2,224     $ 5,423  

 

   

Year Ended June 30, 2017

Compared to the Year Ended June 30, 2016

 
   

Change Due to Volume

   

Change Due to Rate

   

Total Change

 
   

(Dollars in thousands)

 

Interest earning assets:

                       

Investment securities

  $ (47 )   $ 135     $ 88  

Loans

    5,559       4,448       10,007  

FHLBB stock

    (32 )     9       (23 )

Short-term investments

    205       408       613  

Total increase in interest income

    5,685       5,000       10,685  

Interest bearing liabilities:

                       

Interest bearing deposits

    750       580       1,330  

Short-term borrowings

    (10 )     (10 )     (20 )

FHLBB advances

    (275 )     (19 )     (294 )

Subordinated debt

    1,179       58       1,237  

Capital lease obligations

    (13 )     1       (12 )

Total increase in interest expense

    1,631       610       2,241  

Total increase in net interest and dividend income

  $ 4,054     $ 4,390     $ 8,444  

 

For the year ended June 30, 2018, the $3.2 million volume-related change in net interest income was mainly the result of the significant increase in loans, which grew by $43.9 million on average compared to fiscal 2017. The rate-related change in fiscal 2018 compared to fiscal 2017 was principally due to the increase in yields on the originated loan portfolios. For fiscal 2018, the net interest margin earned of 5.07% was 15 basis points higher than that earned for fiscal 2017, primarily due to higher average balances and rates in the LASG originated portfolio, partially offset by higher rates paid on deposits and higher average balances in the deposit portfolio.

 

The Company’s total cost of funds increased to 1.33% in fiscal 2018, from 1.14% in fiscal 2017, due to higher rates paid on deposits and higher volume in the deposit portfolio.

 

Provision for Loan Losses 

 

Quarterly, the Company determines the amount of its allowance for loan losses adequate to provide for losses inherent in the Company's loan portfolios, with the provision for loan losses determined by the net periodic change in the allowance for loan losses. For acquired loans accounted for under ASC 310-30, Receivables—Loans and Debt Securities Acquired with Deteriorated Credit Quality ("ASC 310-30"), a provision for loan loss is recorded when estimates of future cash flows decrease due to credit deterioration.

 

The provision for loan losses has been recorded based on estimates of inherent losses in newly originated loans and for incremental reserves required for pre-merger loans based on estimates of deteriorated credit quality post-merger.

 

 

The provision for loan losses for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2018 was $1.4 million, a decrease from the provision for loan losses of $1.6 million for the year ended June 30, 2017. At June 30, 2018 and 2017, the allowance for loan losses was $4.8 million and $3.7 million, respectively, and the ratio of allowance for loan losses to total loans was 0.55% and 0.47%, respectively.

 

Net charge-offs for fiscal 2018 totaled $268 thousand, representing approximately 0.03% of the Company's average portfolio loan balance during the fiscal year. This compares to $279 thousand, or 0.04%, in fiscal 2017, representing a decrease of $11 thousand in fiscal 2018.

 

For additional information on the allowance for loan losses, see "Asset Quality."

 

Noninterest Income

 

Noninterest income for fiscal 2018 totaled $7.0 million, a decrease of $2.7 million, or 27.5%, from fiscal 2017. When compared to fiscal 2017, the decrease was principally due to the following:

 

 

A decrease of $2.3 million in gains realized on the sale of SBA loans. Fiscal 2018 includes gains realized on the sale of SBA loans of $3.0 million, compared to a $5.3 million gain on the sale of SBA loans in fiscal 2017; and

 

A decrease in gain on the sale of residential loans held for sale of $521 thousand.

 

The decreases in noninterest income were partially offset by an increase in gain on the sale of other loans of $553 thousand. Fiscal 2018 includes gains realized on the sale of four LASG purchased loans of $918 thousand, compared to a $365 thousand gain on sale of a Community Banking Division commercial loan portfolio in the year ended June 30, 2017.

 

Noninterest Expense

 

Noninterest expense for fiscal 2018 totaled $35.7 million, a decrease of $59 thousand, or 0.2%, from fiscal 2017. When compared to fiscal 2017, the decrease was principally due to the following:

 

 

A decrease of $417 thousand in occupancy and equipment expense, due to decreased computer equipment repairs and maintenance expense, and computer and software depreciation expense; and

 

A decrease of $380 thousand in loan acquisition and collection expense, due to lower loan workout expenses.

 

The decreases in noninterest expense were partially offset by an increase of $703 thousand in data processing fees, primarily due to the increased cost associated with the outsourcing of data processing.

 

Income Taxes

 

Income tax expense for fiscal 2018 totaled $7.0 million, representing 30.3% of pretax income, as compared to $7.8 million, or 38.7% of pretax income, in fiscal 2017. The decrease in the Company's effective tax rate was principally due to the change in the federal corporate income tax rate as a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act signed into law on December 22, 2017, along with benefits resulting from the Company’s adoption of ASU 2016-09, Compensation—Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting, arising from the exercise of stock options and vesting of restricted stock awards.

 

 

Financial Condition

 

Overview

 

The Company's total assets grew to $1.2 billion at June 30, 2018, representing an increase of $80.9 million, or 7.5%, compared to $1.1 billion at June 30, 2017. Significant changes in the Company's balance sheet components include:

 

 

The loan portfolio, excluding loans held for sale, increased by $92.6 million, or 11.9%, compared to June 30, 2017. The increase was principally due to $348.7 million of LASG originations and purchases, $3.4 million of Community Bank originations and $45.1 million of SBA originations. The increase in loan volume was partially offset by SBA loan sales of $29.2 million, as well as purchased and originated loan runoff in the portfolio.

 

 

Deposits increased by $65.1 million, or 7.3%, from June 30, 2017 due to growth in non-maturity accounts of $50.0 million, or 9.0%, and growth in time deposits of $15.1 million, or 4.5%; and

 

 

Shareholders’ equity increased by $15.6 million from June 30, 2017, primarily due to earnings of $16.2 million. Additionally, there was stock-based compensation of $870 thousand, an increase in accumulated other comprehensive loss of $129 thousand and $355 thousand in dividends paid on common stock.

 

Cash and Cash Equivalents

 

Cash and cash equivalents decreased $5.9 million, or 3.6%, to $157.4 million at June 30, 2018, as compared to $163.3 million at June 30, 2017. This decrease was principally the result of net loan growth, including loans held for sale, of $95.1 million, offset by net deposit growth of $65.1 million and a net decrease in available-for-sale securities of $9.0 million.

 

Available-for-sale Securities

 

The available-for-sale securities portfolio totaled $87.7 million and $96.7 million at June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively. The Company's investment portfolio was comprised primarily of U.S. Government-sponsored enterprise bonds and mortgage-backed securities guaranteed by government agencies. The composition of the Company's securities portfolio at the dates indicated follows.

 

   

June 30, 2018

   

June 30, 2017

   

June 30, 2016

 
   

Amortized Cost

   

Fair Value

   

Amortized Cost

   

Fair Value

   

Amortized Cost

   

Fair Value

 
   

(Dollars in thousands)

 

U.S. Government agency securities

  $ 57,129     $ 56,887     $ 57,401     $ 57,168     $ 51,948     $ 52,046  

Agency mortgage-backed securities

    25,276       24,181       33,523       32,903       43,330       43,368  

Other investments measured at net asset value

    6,866       6,619       6,717       6,622       5,097       5,158  

Total available-for-sale securities

  $ 89,271     $ 87,687     $ 97,641     $ 96,693     $ 100,375     $ 100,572  

 


The table below sets forth certain information regarding the contractual maturities and weighted average yields of the Company’s debt securities portfolio at June 30, 2018. Actual maturities of mortgage-backed securities will differ from contractual maturities due both to scheduled amortization and prepayments.

 

   

Within One Year

   

After One Year

Through Five Years

   

After Five Years

Through Ten Years

   

After Ten Years

   

Total

 
   

Fair Value

   

Yield

   

Fair Value

   

Yield

   

Fair Value

   

Yield

   

Fair Value

   

Yield

   

Fair Value

   

Yield

 
   

(Dollars in thousands)

 

U.S. Government agency securities

  $ 32,887       1.05 %   $ 23,999       2.20 %   $ -       0.00 %   $ -       0.00 %   $ 56,886       1.54 %

Agency mortgage-backed securities

    -       0.00 %     9,101